Ocean Conservation Namibia
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Ocean Conservation Namibia (OCN) is a non-profit organization founded by Naude and Katja Dreyer in January 2020 to create global awareness of ocean and plastic pollution and its impact on animals, specifically seals. OCN is based in Walvis Bay, Namibia.[1] The Dreyer's have dedicated their lives to the protection of entangled seals and other marine animals caused by ghost nets and marine pollution.
The OCN team consists of several dedicated activists and volunteers who humanely capture seals encumbered by ocean waste and rescue them from near certain death.
Areas of focus of OCN include: education of the world's ocean plastic crisis,[2][3] the Namibian baby seal harvest (Namibia is one of the last places where seals are hunted for commercial purposes),[4][5] overfishing,[6] marine phosphate mining,[7] and deep sea mining.[8]
Struggles
[edit]Foreign companies have targeted Namibia's flagship community conservancies. When activists have visited villages to educate them on the drilling and other foreign company disruptions to their ecosystem the Namibian police have arrested them and held them for nine hours without charge to intimidate and halt the education process.[9] The government of Namibia has also attempted to reduce the fur seal population due to it competing with the fishing industry. [10]
References
[edit]- ^ "Ocean Conservation Namibia | Protect Our Marine Life". OCNamibia. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ "Plastic Crisis". OCNamibia. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ "Ocean plastic pollution - EHN". www.ehn.org. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
- ^ Haro, Alexander (30 July 2024). "Baby Fur Seal Doesn't Want to Leave His Rescuer's Lap". The Inertia. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ Christo, Cyril (5 November 2021). "Namibia must stop the tragedy of its seal hunt". Changing America. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ "Overfishing". OCNamibia. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ "Marine Phosphate Mining". OCNamibia. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ "Deep Sea Mining". OCNamibia. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ Conniff, Richard (22 June 2023). "In Namibia, a Lauded Community Conservation Model Is at Risk". Yale E360. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ Angula, Vitalio (10 July 2024). "Namibia struggles with growing seal population that threatens fishing industry". Voice of America. Retrieved 3 November 2024.