Blue economy on agenda as Norway, Jamaica strengthen ties
THE NAVAL Dockyard in Port Royal on Saturday welcomed the Statsraad Lehmkuhl Norwegian tour and research vessel for five days to its port as part of its twoyear round- the-world ‘One Ocean Expedition’.
The 107-year-old, 98-metrelong ship, which has sailed 55,000 nautical miles and visited 36 ports across the world, is one of the world’s largest and oldest ships.
The One Ocean Expedition is recognised as part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, contributing to Societal Outcome 7 of the Decade – an inspiring and engaging ocean.
Its mission is to raise awareness and exchange knowledge about the ocean’s critical role in global sustainable development. It has also served as an example of the productive collaboration between Jamaica and Norway with a diplomatic partnership of 44 years.
Beate Stirø, the Norwegian ambassador to Jamaica told The Gleaner on Saturday that the visitation of a vessel like this and the opportunity to engage the Jamaican people in this manner exemplifies “the beautiful relationship between Norway and Jamaica, particularly in the efforts in pursuing a sustainable ocean agenda and sustaining the blue economy, making sure that we succeed in combining and harvesting the resources of the ocean with preserving the ocean”, she added.
In a symbolic signing ceremony, Dr Stacy Richards-Kennedy, head of the regional Office of Global Partnerships and Sustainable Futures at The University of the West Indies, and Professor Kerim Nisancioglu of the University of Bergen and the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU).
The MOU reflects the support provided for Jamaica and Norway’s research collaboration as well as numerous online courses, training workshops, and knowledge exchange between faculty and students on key topics such as climate change, fisheries, pollution, and other important topics concerning the ocean and its impact on the Earth.
Marcus Seidl, captain of the Statsraad Lehmkuhl, said the state of the ocean and its depleting resources was cause for alarm.
Citing the ‘One Ocean Expedition’ as an example of the research programmes that must be in place, Seidl said such programmes are crucial in uncovering what he described as a “great concern of what is happening in the ocean”. He also noted that the number of fish found in the global waters is decreasing as fewer fish are caught each week. This, he said, is “not normal”, and as a result, now is the time to take action.
“We have to do something with the oceans to make [Jamaica] especially, safe from flooding, pollution, and everything that is happening because of high-water and climate change,” said Seidl.