Cape Town — The Blue Economy is about all activities that make sure we use the ocean sustainably while pursuing economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and a healthy ocean, says the World Bank. This could be areas such as renewable energy, transportation routes, food, and labour.
Here are a few more interesting facts from the Sustainable Blue Economy Conference in Nairobi, Kenya:
- "$23 billion is robbed from the global economy every year by illegal fishing
- 2.2 million species of plants, animals and organisms live in our aquatic systems
- Only 2% of the world's maritime seafaring workforce are women
- 3.1 billion people live within 100km of the oceans of seas
- 1.5 trillion is the annual value of the worldwide ocean economy and is expected to double by 2030
- 90% of global trade is carried by sea and will double by 2030".
The world's oceans are central to culture, our food, our health and our economies.