The theme for World Oceans Day 2025, celebrated annually on the 8th of June, is ‘Wonder: Sustaining what sustains us’. The hosts, the United Nations (UN) Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, introduce this theme as follows:

The ocean is our world’s greatest wonder, a seemingly endless source of sustenance, potential, wisdom, and awe. From the marine life that produces our oxygen, medicines, and food, to its natural infrastructures that sequester carbon and buffer shores, every diverse element of the ocean, across both its biodiversity and composition, supports humanity in a multitude of ways.

The wonder of the ocean’s support for humanity, and hence the need to use its resources sustainably, is also a core theme of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, proceeding immediately after the Oceans Day event in Nice, France. A highlight of the Conference will be an action panel on advancing sustainable ocean-based economies and coastal community resilience. The concept paper prepared by the UN Secretariat for this panel contains information on the economic contribution of the oceans that could only be described as wonderful:

  • The ocean economy accounts for approximately 4% of the global economy, having doubled over the last two decades and is growing at a faster rate than the rest of the global economy.
  • If the ocean were a country, it would rank alongside France and the UK as one of the largest economies in the world, with a value of at least $2.6 trillion.
  • At least 600 million livelihoods depend on the ocean economy.
  • International trade in ocean goods and services has been reaching record levels.
  • Major sectors of the ocean economy are linked directly to the use of wild marine species, notably marine-based tourism and primary marine fisheries.

In Africa, the ocean's wonders are its notable contributions to economic development and rural livelihoods. The African Development Bank estimates that the fisheries sector generates $24 billion annually and provides employment for 12 million people. The Nairobi Convention also highlights the potential for coastal and marine tourism, noting that in South Africa alone, it is expected to contribute $1.4 billion and provide for 116,000 jobs by 2026. The African Union (AU) projects that this economy will be worth at least $400 billion by 2030, providing over 55 million job opportunities. Hence, the AU has established a Blue Economy Division with the aim of optimising existing sectors of the blue economy and unlocking new sectors.

The African oceans (within the Exclusive Economic Zones) cover about 13 million square kilometres compared to the continent’s landmass of about 30 million square kilometres. Africa’s coastline stretches about 30,000 kilometres, and approximately 150 million people live in coastal areas. Africa’s ocean economy has the potential to lift millions of people out of poverty through the production of a vast array of marine-based goods and services – that is, if this economy can grow sustainably.

All the usual challenges facing our oceans will be addressed at the upcoming UN Ocean Conference. These include worsening climate change impacts, plastic waste, the scourge of illegal, unreported and unregulated industrial fishing, the potentially devastating effects of overtourism, and the spread of invasive species. Can these threats to a sustainable ocean economy be tackled? Can marine ecosystems be protected and wild marine resources harvested sustainably? 

The ocean economy is a highly complex system, and the conference’s concept paper rightly concludes that “Holistic policies and integrated management are needed to ensure healthy and productive ocean ecosystems, while enabling the long-term sustainable use of marine and coastal resources.” Identifying the multitude of threats, assessing their diverse impacts, developing holistic policies, and implementing integrated management systems is no easy task. For many, it may seem so daunting that they despair at the possibility of ever finding sustainable solutions.

Facing these challenges, the hosts of the World Oceans Day 2025 rightly respond: 

If the warnings haven’t motivated us, wonder is what will. The ocean’s wonder is what draws us in and often drives our desire to protect it…. In the face of increasingly daunting challenges, the act of wondering serves to remind us that we are part of something bigger. It wakes us up to our inherent connection to the earth and to each other…

The ocean economy unlocks this wonder for the millions of people living in Africa’s coastal areas. It opens the ocean to entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors; to small and medium enterprises; and to markets across the continent and beyond. With good governance, inclusive access, accountability, and transparency, a modern ocean economy can preserve the wonders of the ocean for future generations. Yes, it is complex and challenging, but it is indeed a wonderful opportunity.

This article was also published in the Cape Argus here. 

  • Dr Francis Vorhies

    AWEI Director