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Seychelles - The young Mauritian scientist and climate lawyer Shaama Sandooyea conducted the world's first underwater climate strike in the heart of the Indian Ocean. The protest took place at the Saya de Malha Bank, a climate-critical place due to its huge seagrass meadows, 735 km off the coast of the Seychelles.
Under water, the 24-year-old Sandooyea showed a poster with the messages “Youth Strike for the Climate” and “Nou Reklam Lazisti's Climate”, Mauritian Creole for “We demand climate justice”. She is currently on a research mission to study biodiversity in the region and highlight the importance of healthy oceans in combating climate change.
"We can no longer stand on the water in the climate crisis," said Sandooyea. “I have taken a stand here in this beautiful, remote area of the Indian Ocean to get a simple message across - we need climate action, and we need it now. With other Fridays for Future activists around the world, I want the climate crisis to be taken seriously. Reducing emissions and protecting our oceans are some of the best ways to do this.
“As I come from an island nation, I know firsthand how important healthy oceans are, not only for our climate, but also for the billions of people in the global south who depend on them. Because of this, the world's leading companies must commit to a network of marine protected areas that protect at least 30% of our oceans. We urgently need action if we are serious about helping people, fighting climate change and protecting wildlife. "
Sandooyea, marine biologist and one of the co-founders of Fridays for Future Mauritius, is with the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise at the Saya de Malha Bank as part of an expedition that is exploring this important but little explored area. It is known that the bank contains the world's largest seagrass meadow, an important absorber for carbon dioxide. [1] [2] The area is also rich in wildlife, including sharks and minke blue whales. As a spawning ground for fish, it also plays an important role in maintaining the staple foods of millions in coastal communities in the area.
In September 2020, the young activist Mya Rose Craig, also as part of Fridays For Future mobilizations, held the northernmost climate strike on the Arctic ice edge to highlight the effects of the climate crisis in the melting frozen ocean. Healthy oceans store large amounts of carbon, which means that they are a key solution in the fight against climate change. Greenpeace calls for a strong global ocean treaty to enable the protection of at least 30% of the oceans by 2030 through a network of protected areas that are inaccessible to human activities. [3] This would enable marine ecosystems to build resilience to better withstand and combat rapid climate change.
Sandooyea joins youth activists and climate strikers around the world who take action through Fridays for Future's strike on March 19th. Together, these young activists are demanding immediate, concrete and ambitious action from world leaders as the climate crisis continues unabated.
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Photos: Greenpeace
