World Oceans Day 2025

WORLD BRAIN TUMOUR DAY 8 June 2025

Each year on June 8, the world pauses to reflect on the oceans — vast, mysterious, and essential to life.

In 2025, World Oceans Day takes on the inspiring theme: “Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us.” For the Seafood Consumers Association, this theme resonates deeply. It asks us to consider not only the awe and beauty of our marine world but also the critical need to preserve its bounty — particularly seafood — for current and future generations.

This day isn’t just about celebration. It’s about action, awareness, and aligning consumption with conservation. And it reminds all of us — consumers, fishers, retailers, policymakers — that the ocean gives, but it cannot give endlessly.

The Ocean plays an enormous role in sustaining us covering more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, the ocean provides:

  • Half of the oxygen we breathe
  • Food security for over 3 billion people
  • Livelihoods for millions in coastal and island communities
  • A powerful buffer against climate change, absorbing over 30% of carbon emissions

Among its gifts, seafood is one of the most vital. From small-scale fishing villages to large urban markets, seafood nourishes bodies and economies. It is high in essential nutrients like omega-3s, iodine, selenium, and protein — making it especially important for children’s development, pregnant women, and healthy ageing.

Yet, as consumers, many of us have become disconnected from the source. We enjoy the benefits of seafood but may overlook the fragile systems that bring it to our plates.

Seafood, when responsibly sourced, can be the world’s most environmentally efficient form of animal protein. Wild-caught and farmed seafood often have lower carbon footprints and water-use impacts than land-based meats. But only if the systems supporting them are managed with care

Unfortunately, illegal practices, habitat degradation, overfishing, and pollution have taken a toll:

  • Over 34% of global fish stocks are now overfished (FAO)
  • Climate change is shifting marine ecosystems and fish migrations
  • Plastic pollution and runoff are impacting marine life

As the Seafood Consumers Association, we see this moment as a call to honour the ocean’s gift by protecting it through responsible consumption and informed choices. Our job is not only to promote seafood but to promote the right seafood — from well-managed fisheries, ethical aquaculture, and systems that value traceability, equity, and transparency.

What “Wonder” Means for Seafood Consumers

The 2025 theme — Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us — invites us to reconnect emotionally and practically with the ocean.

It’s easy to be awed by a coral reef or a breaching whale. But wonder is also about understanding the miracle of a functioning ecosystem: one where a small pelagic fish feeds seabirds and seals, where mangroves protect coastlines and serve as nurseries for prawns/shrimp, where ‘local’ knowledge intersects with science to maintain sustainable harvests.

As consumers, we are part of this system — not separate from it.

We must begin to ask:

  • Where does my fish come from?
  • Was it caught or farmed in a way that supports ocean health?
  • Does my seafood choice support local livelihoods, particularly in small-scale communities?
  • Are we helping children and families access nutritious, affordable seafood — especially in regional areas?

Taking Responsibility: What Seafood Consumers Can Do

On this Ocean Day, the Seafood Consumers Association urges everyone to take small but powerful steps toward sustainability:

Choose Responsibly

  • Buy from credible operators and look for fresh wild seafood that is locally caught and be sure to try different seasonal products. Fresh farmed seafood is generally available all year round. With frozen and canned purchases ensure the product was frozen and/or canned by reputable suppliers.
  • Support seafood brands and retailers who are transparent about sourcing and know the correct names for the species.

Ask Questions

  • Where was this fish caught?
  • If it was farmed when was it harvested?
  • How fresh is it?

These questions can influence how retailers buy, and how fishers fish.

Reduce Waste

  • Over 30% of all seafood is wasted globally. Buy only what you need, store it properly, and use leftovers creatively.

Support Education & Advocacy

  • Help spread awareness about sustainable seafood and the importance of ocean health. If you have any ideas, please do not hesitate to communicate them to us.
  • Get involved in programs that connect children, schools, and communities to seafood literacy.

What We’re Doing at the Seafood Consumers Association

At the Seafood Consumers Association, we believe in empowering people with knowledge. In honour of World Oceans Day, we are:

  • Planning seafood education campaigns in schools and communities
  • Creating a Promoting Plan — built around education that teach kids and families about different species and sustainable choices
  • Collaborating with researchers, retailers, and chefs to promote local, underutilised species — reducing pressure on popular but overfished species
  • Advocating for clearer labelling laws to protect consumers from fish fraud, increasing supply chain transparency and requesting ‘a seat at the decision table’.

We are also calling on governments and the seafood industry to:

  • Improve support for regional and Indigenous fishers and invest/boost aquaculture infrastructure systems
  • Work collaboratively with us to improve base knowledge in retailers/supermarkets/fish ‘n’ chip shops/restaurants and hospitality industry on fish names, CADMUS, food safety, etc
  • Fund public education on seafood nutrition and responsible sourcing

We are only just starting so there is lots to do!

Oceans Connect Us All

On Ocean Day, we must remember that seafood is global. Seafood is the world’s most traded food commodity. Tuna caught in the Western Pacific may be eaten in Europe. Shrimp/Prawns farmed in Vietnam may appear on Australian plates. China dominates trade, processing and consumption. The choices we make as consumers affect not just our local fisheries but distant communities, ecosystems, and futures.

Let us be mindful of this connection. Let us move from passive consumption to being proactive in understanding about what we are eating and how we are part of the solution with the guardianship of the Ocean.

Final Thought: Wonder in Every Bite

The ocean has always sparked wonder — from ancient maritime explorers to modern marine scientists. But in 2025, that wonder must be matched with responsibility.

For every piece of fish we buy, for every meal we prepare for a child, for every dollar we spend in a seafood store — we shape the future of the oceans. Let’s choose to shape it wisely.

Let’s sustain what sustains us.

From the Seafood Consumers Association, we wish you a meaningful, mindful, and marvellous World Oceans Day.