The panel, opened by Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) Susan Sutton, featured Mr. Brian Bean with the US Agency for International Development’s Vietnam Forests and Deltas program, Ms. Nguyen Nhu Quynh with the Center for Marine Life Conservation and Community Development, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Trang with the Centre for Supporting Green Development, and Mr. Jake Brunner, Head of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Indo-Burma Group.
“Whether it's a beach cleanup, using fishing nets that won’t entangle turtles, or working with local governments to prevent coral reef loss, there are real solutions that can make a difference in protecting the ocean,” noted DCM Sutton.
The US Embassy also screened the film “A Plastic Ocean” on June 7, an adventure documentary that brings to light the consequences of a disposable lifestyle.
“The health of our oceans and the livelihoods of fishing communities depend on confronting the threats of over-fishing and pollution, and participants learned how they could each help in easy ways. For example, by putting trash in trash cans and refraining from using single-use plastic bottles and plastic bags, each of us can reduce the plastics pollution that is currently clogging our world’s oceans,” noted US Embassy Environment, Science, Technology, and Health Officer Ali Davis.
Established by the United Nations, the World Oceans Day theme for 2017 is "Our Oceans, Our Future." This theme helped drive engagement between the panelists and audience members as they explored our amazing global marine environment and Vietnam’s maritime treasures while also confronting the threats of over-fishing and pollution, including the growing problem of plastics pollution.
Chung Anh