UN General Assembly
2022

We must unite to prevent and reduce marine pollution, including plastics, oil spills, waste discharge and nuclear contaminants. If we continue down the current path, we will fish out of our oceans more plastics than fish. Pacific SIDS contribute less than 1.3 per cent of the mismanaged plastics in the world’s oceans yet are among the main recipients of plastics pollution and its impacts. The effects of overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing are a major concern for Pacific economies. Lost revenues are in the billions. The increased acidification of our ocean is already destroying entire reef ecosystems. Reef damage affects fish population, which in turn affects entire fisheries upon which we rely for our livelihoods. The global food system is at a critical stage, made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, the onslaught of climate change and the ongoing war in Ukraine. The Food Systems Summit held last year mobilized the global community to find transformative solutions. Samoa was pleased to be part of that important event, which encouraged shared exploration of potential for collective action.