Page 20: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 2018)

Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman, Nippon Foundation oices

Please explain the most important ac- able to live their life on earth 5,000 years human lives in the future. Looking at the all about, in order to save the seas that tivities today for the Nippon Founda- from now. These are the bigger, longer ocean as a whole, although 70 percent of surround us. I have been preaching the tion, and speci? cally, discuss the impor- span questions that we keep in mind of earth is covered by sea (and most of that importance of this often.

tance of the oceans in your work.

when living our lives, because the ocean is open sea), there isn’t a global leader

What are the next steps for the Nippon is in danger, especially from over-? shing to oversee this entire ocean from a com-

Let’s ? rst start from talking from the and the various other problems around prehensive perspective from the stand-

Foundation in terms of ocean gover- grand view, in general, in terms of why I the globe. point of governance or management of nance?

deem the ocean to be important. Looking We know more about the topography the seas. speci? cally at the Nippon Foundation, of Mars, which is 15 million km away, I have been saying that we need to We feel that the human capacity building the activities of the Nippon Founda- than we know about the topography of have some kind of organizational sys- is essential, to educate people and hav- tion are related mostly to humanitarian the bottom of the sea. We feel that we tem in which the comprehensive man- ing the expertise to manage this ocean aid and support, globally. We focus on also need to start focusing on problems agement and governance would be put (from a global perspective). For the last ocean because it is directly related to the relative to ocean. in place for this vast amount of the sea 30 years we have been educating 1,200 sustainability of the human life on earth. that surrounds us, from a sustainability people from 140 different countries,

Today we live in speedy times; every- standpoint. Many people say “sustain- educating from the standpoint of expert So how would you describe the impor- thing moves quickly, and people tend to able development,” but this usually is capacity-building. Scienti? c knowledge, tance of the Nippon Foundation’s work focus on what might happen tomorrow for a span of 10 to 20 years. We feel that such as measurements for the topogra- to promote ocean governance?

or maybe 10 years from now at the best. there should be much longer span that phy and bathometric chart-making, is es-

But if you think about the health and the Looking from the global aspect, as I needs to be applied if we talk about the sential. At the same time, (this creates) sustainability of the ocean, this is direct- mentioned, the ocean is something that sea, and at the same time to de? ne what educated people who would be able to ly related to whether the humans will be will help determine the sustainability of exactly the scope of this sustainability is run the maritime, or port, related to the

As the oceans play a critical role in human existence, Nippon Foundation and Chairman Sasakawa look at Ocean

Sustainability through a much longer lens – 5,000 years from now – and plan accordingly. Comprehensive ocean governance, education, international cooperation and scienti? c data are the path to healthy oceans.

All Photos Copyright: Nippon Foundation 20 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • JUNE 2018

MR #6 (18-25).indd 20 MR #6 (18-25).indd 20 6/6/2018 9:34:55 AM6/6/2018 9:34:55 AM