AN OCEAN FREE OF PLASTICS.

Ocean.
The ocean is a continuous body of salt water that covers more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. Geographers have divided the ocean into four major sections that include the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic oceans. It serves important purposes in human and animal lives by being home to plants and animals, absorption of sun’s heat and transferring it to the atmosphere then distributing the same around the world via the ever moving ocean currents, and not forgetting production of half of the oxygen that human and all terrestrial creatures breathe through phytoplankton photosynthesis.
Despite the fact that human and animals are dependent on oceans, there’s a high rate of ocean pollution. This is also known as marine pollution and is the case in which there is the spread of harmful substances into the ocean. These include plastics, oil, industrial and agricultural wastes and chemical particles. Many of these pollutants are actually released into the environment and into the oceans far upstream from the coastlines.

Ocean and Plastic Pollution.
Plastic waste has a variety of detrimental effects on the environment, since plastics are forever.  Their constituents do not undergo decomposition. This is the reason why, when dumped into the ocean, it leads to pollution of the components of the ocean and alters the oceanic life. Ocean dumping started with an assumption that ‘solution to pollution is dilution’ which has now been proven otherwise.

Animals end up consuming plastic in the process endangering their lives and due to indigestions, without prompt aid, leads to death of the animals. Plastic bags also choke aquatic lives altering the respiratory system from functioning properly and animals succumb from the pollution.
The issue of ocean plastic pollution has attracted increased concern. During the United Nations Environmental Assembly 2017,held in Nairobi, there was a declaration in relation to ocean pollution and it was noted that annually “we” dump from around 4.8 to 12.7 million tonnes of plastics in oceans.
This given amount is expected to double in the next 10 years if nothing is done about it, and therefore this poses a risk to the aquatic life. Therefore the problem Oceanic plastic pollution has been taken as a planetary crisis.

Plastics free oceans.
SDG 14 focuses on life below water. We are supposed to conserve and sustainably use oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
With the rising rate of pollution, that sits far from being the case. The Sustainable development goal 14 sets targets for managing and protecting the life below water, and in it being by 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, from land based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.

In order to ensure that the oceans are free of plastic pollutions, there is need to take up an integrated approach when it comes to the case. The idea of having a declaration is just but the first step. Being that it has no binding powers, some nations may fall back on it, while others take it up. All in all, due to the fact that ocean plastic pollution has been taken as a planetary crisis, it is important that all parties get involved.
With that in mind, people should also know that it is not only the duty of international bodies nor national bodies to save the oceans, but also, communities, civil societies and stakeholders such as industries should be involved.
The most efficient ways to reduce the pollution is to;
• Recycle and reuse of the plastic components used on a daily basis, so as to reduce the risk of them ending up in the ocean.
• There being public awareness on matters of oceanic pollution, and importance of conservation and pollution prevention so that the persons can be well aware of why not to cause the pollution.
• Encourage and be part of public participation in beach  or river clean up activities.
• As individuals, or communities, supporting bans on plastics or supporting organizations addressing plastic pollution so as to save our oceans and the aquatic lives.
• Reducing personal use of single use plastics to reduce the general output of plastics out there. Since when it becomes a collective effort from every single person, leads to a greater reduction.
• Have practical mechanisms to reduce the plastics getting to the oceans like having litter traps, and also having industries take it up to themselves emselves in their codes of conducts not to per take in oceanic plastic pollution as corporate responsibility.

Kenya's Indian Ocean Pollution.
The Kenyan coast has not been exempted from the plastic pollution that has been taking place all through other oceans/seas. Indian Ocean at the Kenyan coast is a water source by various countries, but that does not mean we do not have a duty towards ensuring the pollution is minimal.
Cases of effect of plastic pollution have been presented in the country with one case example of a turtle from Watamu surviving narrowly after a plastic consumption incident. The risk of these cases reoccurring and rising are high if nothing is done about the ocean plastic situation.
 Kenya has taken steps towards ensuring pollution at various levels by plastics, not only in oceans, is on the forefront, and with the recent adoption of the plastic paper bags ban, it is on the right track. It was commended for the initiative during UNEA 2017, and the issue of plastic ban is now on the weighing scale.
Participation in the #CleanSeas which was a clean up activity shows the will to ensure that there's less pollution and there’s motive to take up various actions to reduce ocean pollution generally, plastic wastes included.

For an ocean free of plastics, it is safe to say that joint effort is needed;  internationally, nationally, communally and down to individuals.
It takes one and another to have clean seas.