THE MOMBASA OCEAN FESTIVAL 4th EDITION 2025


photo:-courtesy of twitter

Following a vibrant kickoff on Day 1, the Mombasa Ocean Festival 4th edition 6th-10th May continues to captivate attendees with activities and educational programs to promote marine conservation and celebrate ocean culture.This    occurs 10 years after the historic Paris Agreement to limit global warming. Honourable  Emily Achieng Okello, Mombasa County's Customer Communications Manager responsible for water, public works, natural resources, and climate change resilience,graced the event at Nyali Cinemax in Mombasa County.
 
 Honourable Emily Achieng  welcomed attendees and underscored the urgent need to address the threats facing our oceans. She called for collective action to safeguard the oceans for future generations.

The opening day featured a screening of the educational film Bahari Yetu, which showcased a man's journey of learning about ocean survival from his father and the growing issue of ocean pollution. The film called for unity in solving the problem and preserving the ocean for future generations.

More than 250 pupils from 9 schools attended the opening ceremony; the audience was introduced to the previous month's photo contests and art challenges, with winning entries displayed. The contest featured junior and senior categories, with Shree Swaminarayan Academy winning the best junior school award. Phillip Maye won the photo contest by using his photography to highlight the challenges faced by fishermen.
photo:- students at Mombasa Ocean Festival courtesy of twitter 

During the Q&A session, participants, like photographer Jawi, emphasized the ocean's critical role in sustaining life. He stated, "Without the ocean, none of us would be here. The ocean helps us protect our world, and everyone who holds any position should advocate for it. We are all change-makers, and it all starts with each of us.

In additional,Lucas Fronceees,Director of Alliance Francaise Mombasa County talked about the objective of the Mombasa Ocean Festival is to sensitize the community about the importance of protecting the ocean and also honoured to partner with KEMRI,Wildlife Clubs of Kenya,French Embassy and German Embassy. The target audience was public and private schools together with their teachers because they are the future ocean scientists and also leaders of tomorrow. He added that "protecting the ocean is connecting scientists,connecting decision makers and connecting children to work together on the same goal because we cannot separate each other, because we have to work together to protect the ocean"

 "you know that we know nothing, but nothing about what is happening under the water. 91% of all species underwater, that's an estimate, have not been discovered. This is crazy. We know so much about the above-water world, but we know nothing about what is happening and who lives underwater. And there's so much to discover, but you all know that the ocean is gravely damaged. Nowadays, when you eat a fish, you're eating plastic. You're eating small plastic balls in every fish. This is the state that we brought the ocean in."Henriette Geiger European Union Ambassador in Kenya said.

Photo:- Henriette Geiger courtesy of twitter

Kibibi Abdala Khamis Minister of Blue Economy, Agriculture, Livestock, and Cooperative Societies also was among the participants and had to say this " If we exclude 65% of the people who produce our fish, to simply preserve the ecosystem of our fish, there is no life. Marine conservation is very important" . Let us preserve the marine ecosystem. Let us stop pollution in our beaches. Let us ensure that the ecosystem, the breeding grounds of our fish are safe for sustainable livelihoods, and also build resilience to climate change. Kibibi said.

The opening day set a powerful tone for the remaining days of the festival, blending education, inspiration, and collective action to promote ocean conservation.

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