What is World Ocean Day and why is it celebrated?

World Ocean Day is an international day of advocacy where people around the globe from scientists to celebrities, indigenous leaders to federal decision-makers, and everyone in between, is called to take action to protect the Great Blue!

Originally proposed in 1992 by Canada's International Centre for Ocean Development, it became an international day of action in 2002 with global coordination led by the Ocean Project. And in 2008, it was officially recognized by the United Nations.

Why are our oceans under threat?

Our oceans are facing rising temperatures, immense amounts of pollution, loss of biodiversity, and rising sea levels. Overfishing causes a significant threat as it leads to the destruction of crucial ecosystems worldwide. Conventional ocean fishing is unsustainable and is caused by lack of regulation, an increased demand for food (for people and pets!), and poor fishing practices like ocean trawling.

The ocean fishing industry has led to biodiversity loss with over 70% of the world fisheries exploited and 55% of coral reefs destroyed due to overfishing. And when it comes to pollution, up to 86% of ocean plastic waste, and one gigaton of carbon emissions are emitted per year. 

How do we protect the ocean?

Animals are responsible for the consumption of one third of the ocean caught fish and one third of the environmental impacts of the ocean fishing industry. Dogs and cats in the U.S. consume over 1.5 billion pounds of fish annually. Turning to a sustainable source of fish is crucial for the health of our oceans! 

Silver carp (also know as Copi) is a fresh-water alternative that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and is a healthy source of protein. Silver carp fishing does not affect oceans as they are wild-caught in USA freshwater rivers and lakes. Unlike many ocean fish, Silver carp is overpopulated, making up to 90% of the biomass in areas of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. It needs to be fished for! Silver carp are also voracious feeders consuming four times their body weight in algae per day. By removing Silver carp from USA waterways, we preserve the carbon sink properties of algae, saving 1,051 lbs of CO2 eq for each pound of silver carp removed.

Back to the oceans, by fishing for Copi, we’re able to prevent harmful ocean trawling which is responsible for one gigaton of CO2 emissions yearly! By fishing for Silver Carp and using the tasty fish in our dog products, Chippin saves 58 lbs of CO2 eq for each pound of fish caught.