Dire need to mend our ways in which we affect oceans, aquatic life: Naval Chief.

ISLAMABAD -- Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi on Monday said there was a dire need to mend our ways in which we were affecting the oceans and aquatic life existing in them.

In his message on World Oceans Day, the Naval Chief emphasized that we could only protect the Earth's ultimate source of life through joint efforts, a Pakistan Navy news release here received said.

Admiral Niazi said, "Today, on 8th of June 2021, we celebrate 'World Oceans Day', to focus on the maintenance and development of the oceans and coastal areas."

He added that the oceans; a major source of sustenance of life on earth, act as lungs to our planet as they provide more than 50 percent of the oxygen produced on this planet.

"They are also major absorbers of greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide. Thus, human activity on land is directly affecting the oceans and the life that flourishes within, " he underscored.

The purpose of World Oceans Day, celebrated globally under the ambit of UN, was to enlighten the world community regarding the impact of human actions on the oceans and to explore ways and means for their sustainable use and the marine resources we derived from them, the Naval Chief said.

The theme selected for World Oceans Day 2021 by UN is 'The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods'. This offers an opportunity to explore the human life relationship with the oceans.

He said, "Oceans regulate our climate. Holding 97 percent of the water on earth, almost all rain that drops on land comes from the sea."

Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi said on the eve of World Oceans Day, we acknowledge the challenges that were eroding the integrity of our waters - pollution, marine invasive species, extreme climatic changes and threats to survival of marine species.

We depend on our oceans for food. Fishing...