Anse Royale primary joins in global day of ocean celebration |15 June 2016

World Ocean Day is a global day of ocean celebration for a better future. On Wednesday June 8, individuals and organisations across our blue planet celebrated with the theme, ‘Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planets’.

Our school could not let this prestigious day go by unnoticed. In line with the Eco-Schools Programme, the Eco-School Committee ensured that the theme was celebrated both inside and outside the classrooms and its importance to humanity promoted, to a great extent.

This was through an exhibition, a collaborative effort of the school’s staff, students and parents as well as through poems, songs and sketches by staff and students, all geared towards the ‘Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet’ theme.

The exhibition which lasted two days was viewed by three hundred and twelve people, representing the school’ staff, students, parents, officials from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change as well as staff from other schools in the Zone.

Through the exhibition, the staff and students wanted to showcase the many ways in which oceans subsidise to humanity. It highlighted:

1. the significant challenges we face in maintaining the capacity to regulate the global climate, supply essential ecosystem services and provide sustainable livelihoods and safe creation;
2. how we, in Seychelles, are trying so hard to preserve and protect our oceans and seas, but elsewhere human activities have, and are still causing changes to the climate system and these are taking a terrible toll on the world’s oceans and seas;
3. how vulnerable ecosystems, such as corals, and important fisheries are being constantly damaged by over exploitation as well as the impact of rising sea levels, bringing with it devastating effects on vulnerable communities, especially the people living in small island developing states;
4. how oceans, like ours, are affected by piracy, armed robbery, smuggling of illegal drugs, all of which threaten lives and the peace and security that the ocean so badly need;
5. as well as through poems, songs and sketches by staff and students, all geared towards the ‘Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet’ theme.

The poems, songs and sketches by staff and students equally demonstrated the importance of the oceans and were all geared towards the ‘Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet’ theme.

The highlight of the day was the staff and students’ pledge which reads as follows:

Another important activity was the sharing of teachers’ quotes, quotes written by teachers themselves. Again, the teachers wanted to point out the importance they attach to the protection and safe guarding of the oceans.

The school’s staff and students strongly condemned the use of plastic bags. They demonstrated through sketches how plastic pollution can be a menace to the universe, how it impacts on the health of aquatic animals, because animals including sea turtles and planktons mistake the micro beads for food.

In her address, the head teacher of the school requested all present to take a significant and quick action to secure ocean health and prosperity for the people that so depend on it.

She added that we can put our oceans on the pathway to recovery and there is no better time than now. 

She encouraged each and every one present to emphasise on our individual and collective duty to protect the marine environment and carefully manage its resources peacefully, equitably and sustainably for the benefit of the current and future generations.

PLEDGE

“We, the staff and pupils of the school pledge to help and strengthen marine protected areas.

We aim to work hard to help end destructive practices, such as trawling, shark finning and overfishing - so that fish stay in our ocean for generations to come.

We will continue to promote the effects of oil pollution, beach pollution and plastic pollution.

We will always recycle home products so as to keep the oceans clean.”

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The accompanying photos were taken during the exhibition.

Contributed by Anse Royale primary school