Needed: A sustainable blue economy

Conservation and restoration of marine resources and ecosystems is fundamental to development, and we need a sustainable blue economy to make this happen

I was recently in the Rushikulya beach, Bay of Bengal, Odisha, to witness the hatching of Olive Ridley sea turtles. A wonder of nature, millions of baby turtles hatch from their eggs in a matter of days, and, driven by the earth’s geomagnetic field, instinctively start crawling towards the sea.

Looking at this marvellous sight, I could not help but wonder how critical the ocean is to our own lives. Covering more than 70 per cent of the earth’s surface, it contains 97 per cent of the planet’s water, providing us food, regulating the climate, and generating most of the oxygen