By KPC Reporter
Greenpeace Africa has called on African governments to take decisive action to protect the continent’s oceans and coastal communities as the United Nations Ocean Conference gets underway in Mombasa.
The environmental organisation marked the opening of the conference on Monday by unveiling a large-scale sand art installation at Pirates Beach, created by Greenpeace staff, volunteers and members of the local community.
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Visible from the air, the artwork bears the message, “The Ocean Connects Us All,” and is intended to highlight growing calls for stronger ocean protection across Africa.
The three-day conference, running from June 16 to 18, brings together governments and stakeholders at a time when African waters are facing increasing pressure from illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, plastic pollution and the effects of climate change.
Speaking during the beach activation, Greenpeace Africa volunteer Norwich Mandu said the installation reflected the daily realities facing many coastal communities.
“This artwork represents what coastal communities are feeling every day. Fish are becoming scarce, livelihoods are under pressure, and yet the solutions are within reach. We are here to remind our leaders that protecting the ocean means protecting people, especially local fishers who depend on these waters to survive,” said Mandu.
Greenpeace Africa is using the conference to urge African governments to champion the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, a landmark international treaty designed to facilitate the creation of Marine Protected Areas in the high seas beyond national boundaries.
According to the organisation, the agreement presents a significant opportunity for African nations to strengthen ocean conservation efforts while safeguarding fisheries and marine resources that support millions of livelihoods across the continent.
Greenpeace Africa Oceans Campaign Lead Dr Aliou Ba said African governments must move quickly to ratify and implement the treaty while simultaneously addressing destructive fishing practices in the region.
“The BBNJ Agreement gives African governments a historic opportunity to protect the high seas and safeguard the future of our fisheries. At the same time, we must confront the ongoing crisis of IUU fishing, which is stripping African waters of life and robbing communities of food and income. Governments cannot afford to delay. The time to act is now,” he said.
The organisation also warned that plastic pollution continues to worsen the ocean crisis by damaging marine ecosystems and threatening biodiversity along Africa’s coastlines.
Greenpeace Africa Plastics Campaign Lead Hellen Dena said tackling marine pollution must form a central part of efforts to protect the continent’s oceans.
“You cannot talk about protecting the ocean without addressing plastic pollution. From beaches to deep-sea ecosystems, plastic waste is everywhere. African governments must push for strong global and regional action that tackles pollution at its source while protecting marine biodiversity through frameworks like the BBNJ Agreement,” she said.
Throughout the conference, Greenpeace Africa will lobby governments to support the establishment of a High Seas Marine Protected Area in the Canary-Guinea Convergence Zone under the BBNJ framework.
The organisation is also calling for faster ratification and implementation of the treaty, stronger measures to eliminate illegal and harmful industrial fishing practices, integrated approaches to tackling biodiversity loss and pollution, and greater involvement of coastal communities in ocean governance.
As delegates gather in Mombasa for the conference, Greenpeace Africa says the message displayed on the beach should guide discussions and policy decisions throughout the event: Africa’s oceans are under growing threat and urgent action is needed to secure their future and the livelihoods they sustain.
