The Blue Recovery Series Webinar – Ensuring a robust ‘blue’ recovery in Asia and the Pacific –

Online Speech

* This speech was delivered by the Q&A style with the moderator of the webinar and Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation.

Question 1

Mr. Sasakawa, I begin by inviting you to share your thoughts on the state of the ocean and how The Nippon Foundation has been responding to that challenge?

Answer 1

Thank you for your kind introduction, Mr. Goddard. It is an honor for me to be a part of this first session of the Blue Recovery Series jointly sponsored by The Economist, The Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, and The Nippon Foundation on this national Marine Day of Japan. I would like to express my gratitude to my friend, His Excellency President Remengesau for his attendance.

I would also like to express my deepest condolences to those who have lost their lives in the COVID-19 pandemic and convey my sincere respect to the medical professionals who continue to fight on the frontline of the global pandemic.

To answer your question, I must say that the world is facing a grave threat to its survival today. I say this not with the COVID-19 pandemic in mind. I say this because Mother Ocean that supports all life on planet Earth is trapped in a very grave state-of-affairs due to man’s unruly use of the ocean. We have always taken it for granted the existence of the ocean over the thousands of millennia, while never looking back to the few decades that we have heavily burdened the ocean due to economic modernization.

I would like to refer to “The Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate” issued at the IPCC 51st General Assembly last September in Monaco. According to the report, phenomena thought to exceed “the tipping point” are already beginning to appear in certain marine ecosystems. The report is sounding the alarm that the oceans, and by extension, the entire planet are in a dire situation and that choices made now are critical for the future. This is a matter of life-and-death, especially for small island nations and the arctic that are first to be impacted.

Global warming and ocean acidification, depletion of fishing resources, and millions of tons of plastic debris are threatening our oceans. Open your ears and you can already hear the silent cry of agony from Mother Ocean. Therefore, we must come to terms with the ocean by addressing its plight as an ultra-long-term challenge of a thousand years. Left unattended, in time, it will have a profound impact on the very survival of humankind.

We, The Nippon Foundation, have long grappled with this crisis. Based on our founding principles, “One World One Family,” our activities cut across politics, philosophy, religion, ethnicity, and national borders.

Japan, in particular as an island nation, has always depended on the ocean for our survival. Ever since the establishment of our foundation, we have focused on the ocean that has bestowed upon us Japanese and the people of the world so much benefit.

We had already predicted 30 years ago of what we are seeing today and felt a strong sense of crisis approaching the ocean. We realize that “Japan must become a nation that is protected by the ocean to a nation that protects the oceans around the world.”

Therefore, with an ever-increasing sense of crisis, we placed a strong emphasis on our ocean-related initiatives. These initiatives have spanned over multiple areas such as education of over 1400 ocean experts in 150 countries, the safe navigation through the Malacca-Singapore Straits, the support of the Pacific island nations, and the enactment of the national Basic Act on Ocean Policy.

Question 2:

Thank you Mr. Sasakawa. You mentioned that you were looking at solutions. What in your view should be the priorities for the future, how we best go to tackle its priorities to get?

Answer 2:

The challenges facing our oceans are becoming more and more diverse and complex at a pace we have never imagined. I believe this is a clear sign that we are called for a collective action across all sectors to reach a viable solution.

One example would be the innovation of technology, such as digitalization of the ocean industry. It has a huge potential to make dramatic changes in the traditional logistics and fishing, navigation safety, ocean observation, information and communication, and security. Already in the private sector, this transition is gaining momentum as the development of new businesses is evolving at a fast pace under the new vision.

I think we can say that a significant change is being forged in the world of the ocean. We are navigating into the age of New Normal as we turn away from traditional top-down policy to active public-private collaboration.

We are gradually seeing a growing global movement towards preserving the riches and blessings of the ocean, and the fulfillment of a sustainable use of the ocean.

However, unfortunately, I think there are still not many who see the ocean issue from the perspective of a “threat to the survival of mankind.” I believe it is absolutely necessary that the leaders of states and businesses as well as every member of the global community take action being fully aware of the prevailing threat.

We have been able to hold this webinar because of the support from The Economist to The Nippon Foundation’s approach of looking ahead a thousand years to address the issues of the ocean. It is my greatest expectation that there will be active, frank discussions on the subject of the sustainability of the ocean.

We have the responsibility to pass on our ocean to humanity now and into the distant future. In order to fulfill this important task, let us think, act, and walk together.