Allow Time for the Sea to Recover

KOMPAS/ICHWAN SUSANTO

Divers examine the condition of coral and fish around Hatta Island in Banda Naira, Central Maluku on Tuesday (5/11/2019). The results of examination are used as a control or comparison of the condition in the waters in Banda Naira Marine Tourism Park and the Ay and Rhun Waters Conservation Areas. The activities of the Coral Triangle Center also include surveying the socioeconomic condition of the local community. The Governor of Maluku in 2016 declared the Ay and Rhun Waters, which cover a total area of 47,968.74 hectares, a conservation area.

The sea constitutes an important part of life on earth. Seventy percent of the earth surface is covered by the sea. Besides, it is the sea that accommodates 97 percent of water on this planet. However, the conservation of the sea is facing a problem due to the presence of plastic waste and the rise in sea surface temperature

According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), 8 million tons of plastic ends up in the sea annually. The plastic waste comes from rivers around the world, which function as direct channels of waste from cities to the marine environment.