Anees Muhammad Khan
On 8 June 2026, the world observes World Oceans Day under the theme “Strong Marine Protected Areas for Our Blue Planet.”
It is a theme that is simultaneously a scientific imperative, a governance challenge, and a political test. For Pakistan, which has historically treated its ocean as a peripheral asset rather than a strategic one, it is also a moment of reckoning. The concept for World Oceans Day was first developed at the same time as the Convention on Biological Diversity and Agenda 21 were signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. It was officially recognized by the United Nations in 2008, and is an internationally observed day coordinated by the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) and The Ocean Project.
It needs to be understood that the oceans are not a backdrop to human civilization. They are its foundation. They cover more than 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, purify over 90 percent of the excess heat, control global weather patterns, and provide the habitat for about 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity. The ocean is a USD 24 trillion driver of global prosperity and a natural asset that is untapped and underfunded, and not in the spotlight. Further, the ocean is a source of protein for almost 3.5 billion people & over 80 per cent of world trade (by volume) is carried out by sea. Unfortunately, we lack gratitude to our oceans, and they are receiving less than one percent of global climate finance. The ocean is thus not a resource to be managed at the margins of national policy; it is the infrastructure of civilisation itself.
The theme of Ocean Day 2026 has important significance due to its overlap with recent landmark governance moments. The 30×30 target, which aims to protect 30 percent of the world’s lands, waters and oceans by 2030, was incorporated into the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in Dec 2022. A recent intergovernmental agreement, the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, entered into force recently, bringing conservation obligations to two-thirds of the ocean that do not fall under the jurisdiction of any single country, and accounts for nearly half the Earth’s surface. These commitments are brought to the limelight by the theme of this year’s World Oceans Day. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a critical element to the recovery of marine ecosystems and for protection of biodiversity.
Pakistan has 1001 km of coastline along the Arabian Sea, an Exclusive Economic Zone of about 2,40,000 km2 and a continental shelf which the Planning Commission of Pakistan has called its “sixth province”. However, Pakistan’s blue economy only accounts for around 0.5 to about 1 per cent of GDP, whereas similar maritime economies of the UAE, Norway and Maldives have blue economy shares of 7–10 per cent in their GDP. The fisheries sector, which has the potential to generate exponentially higher export revenues, is only operating at a small fraction of its potential; 60 to 90 percent of marine fish stocks are over-exploited with weak governance, illegal fishing, and the absence of effectively designated and managed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Some MPAs have been designated in Pakistan along the Makran and Sindh coasts, such as Astola Island and Miani Hor; however, their effective management, enforcement and ecological monitoring are poor
World Oceans Day cannot be another ‘remembrance’ day. It has to be the annual accountability moment when governments, institutions, industries and citizens assess how well they are delivering on ocean commitments and actions. For the international community, this means translating the 30×30 target into action by designating, financing and effectively managing MPAs. It involves implementing the BBNJ Agreement. It involves channeling climate finance at a scale appropriate to the role the ocean plays in regulating the global climate.
For Pakistan specifically, it implies creating the legislative framework, such as a National Marine Protected Areas Act, Fisheries Policy, and implementing the Maritime @100 by making the Blue Economy (BE) ambition a reality. It involves investment in maritime education, ocean science, and institutional capacity for ocean governance and sustainable development. Above all, it means to be aware that the health of the ocean is intertwined with Pakistan’s strategic security, food security, trade competitiveness, energy security and regional influence.
We do not own the Blue Planet; we belong to it. Pakistan’s Ocean is not a resource to be extracted until exhausted. It is a living capital to be passed on through generations to come. World Oceans Day 2026 is a reminder of this beginning.
—The writer , a retired PN Commander, is Senior Maritime Fellow at National
Institute of Maritime Affairs, Islamabad.
