On this World Wildlife Day, Galway Atlantaquaria is proud to officially join the European Commission’s Global Coalition, ‘#UnitedforBiodiversity’. The Coalition, which was launched exactly one year ago by EU Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, calls on all zoos, aquariums, botanic gardens, national parks, research centres, science and natural history museums to boost public awareness about the nature crisis. There is urgency: science warns us one million species are at risk of extinction.
Galway Atlantaquaria joins more than 200 institutions and organisations worldwide, including zoos and aquariums associations in Ireland and Europe, and also Leave No Trace Ireland and Dublin Zoo. Together we join forces to speak up for nature ahead of the crucial CoP15 meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming, China later this year. During this summit, the 196 Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity are expected to adopt a new global framework to protect and restore nature.
Virginijus Sinkevičius – EU Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries said, “All species, from bacteria to mammals, plants to insects, are pieces of the big puzzle of life. They are all connected and depend on each other. Yet one species, our species, is now responsible for the climate crisis and the nature crisis, causing massive biodiversity loss. By destroying Earth ecosystems, we humans are jeopardizing our food, our health, our economy and our own future. World botanic gardens, zoos, parks, museums, research centres and aquariums show us what we need to protect and restore on this planet. We urgently need to act, at all levels, from local to global, otherwise, our only chance of seeing nature is in these institutions. That would be a failure of humankind. It is time for us to reconnect with nature.”
Garry Kendellen of Galway Atlantaquaria said, “We belong to nature and the ocean, they feed us and allow us to breathe, as well as providing mental wellbeing. This time in our lives with lockdowns and pandemics should shake humanity into readjusting its course that is self-destructive and illogical. We need to change and to stand up for biodiversity.”
For over 20 years Galway Atlantaquaria has laid the foundation of education, conservation and ocean literacy as its ethos. Our Aquarium has proudly shown the diversity of life in our oceans and rivers and focuses on native Irish species. We have worked with our local community to champion clean beaches and community initiatives. We are delighted to accept the Global challenge and by adding our voice to this campaign, we invite all our partners to join the movement too!
We are focusing our pledge campaign through social media, public participation and events, as well as exhibits within the Aquarium.
We hope to bring people along and start a conversation, let’s get it done!
To learn more about the Coalition, see;
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/biodiversity/coalition/index_en.htm