Egyptian president lists efforts to preserve marine life at ocean summit

On Friday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi emphasized his country's efforts to preserve marine resources as a three-day summit over protecting the planet's oceans got underway.

On the last day of the One Ocean Summit held in France, president Macron brought together heads of states and government. The summit aims at raising the international community’s ambition on the preservation of ocean ecosystems. 

President el-Sissi presented, on Friday, Egypt’s efforts to preserve marine resources. "Early on, Egypt put in place legislation necessary to regulate its economic activities that are related to seas and oceans to ensure the sustainability of marine resources that can protect seas from all forms of pollution, including plastic waste pollution that is considered a real challenge specially for developing countries, that are seeking technological support needed to execute their strategies aiming at the reduction of plastic use harmful to the environment."

Call to action

Oceans cover more than 70% of the planet’s surface and scientists estimate that more than 50% of the oxygen production on Earth comes from it.Aware of a shared responsibility towards it, world leaders and civil society policymakers addressed major challenges throughout the session. Egypt’s president who will host the 27th UN climate change conference urged his counterparts to take strong commitments. "As the host of the coming U.N. annual climate summit this year Egypt is calling for the enhancement of international efforts aiming to protect our seas and oceans from these effects in order to preserve its sustainability and the diversity of its nature."

From mercury pollution to off-shore drilling, issues affecting the ocean, impact billions of inhabitants. In Africa where more than 30 countries have coastlines, the stakes are even higher. Congo's Environment minister Arlette Soudan-Nonault, sounded the alarm on the consequences of foreign companies' activity on the Congo Bassin. If these first-world firms make profit, local population stay to suffer the effects of pollution.

If negotiators hope to reach an agreement, some African observers deplored the continent’s fate in the race for marine wealth, which often leaves Africa's waters polluted and plundered.