The major ocean threat presented by the more than 8,000 of the shipwrecks around the world left by two world wars has been neglected for too long. These still contain significant amounts of oil – possibly as much as 20 million tonnes. That is 500 times more oil than the amount released in the Exxon Valdez incident.
Marinas Guardian is immensely proud to be part of a consortium of organisations brought together by Lloyds Register Foundation to develop an international strategy as to how best to tackle this problem. This excellent article, 'Potentially Polluting Wrecks: defusing the ticking time bomb' explains the issue and how a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary approach is needed.
Joao Sousa, an expert with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature points out that “By prioritising the protection of our ocean and the preservation of the myriad species that call it home, we are not only safeguarding biodiversity but we are also ensuring safety and the sustainability of livelihoods that depend on these precious marine resources.”
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