The NGO OceanHub Africa places a call for projects to combat overfishing and waste pollution in Africa’s waterways.
OceanHub Africa, a South African-based NGO, is looking for innovative green solutions to protect marine biodiversity in Africa. The NGO has launched a call for projects, which will close on 14 May 2023, and is seeking young entrepreneurs who are passionate about implementing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to combat the threat to aquatic species. With 11 million tons of plastic entering Africa’s waterways each year, the initiative seeks 12 green solutions to combat overfishing and pollution by waste.
Focus on SDG14
The main focus of OceanHub Africa’s call for projects is SDG14, which emphasizes the importance of respecting animal and plant species living in aquatic environments. Candidates for OceanHub Africa’s fourth cohort will have to propose concrete techniques to reduce overfishing and pollution by waste in order to combat the serious threat to marine biodiversity.
Training and funding
The innovations selected on the evening of 18 June 2023 will benefit from a series of training courses on ecological transition over eight months, as well as funding of up to USD 10,000 per project.
In 2022, OceanHub Africa supported six start-ups, including South Africa’s SeaH4, which offers clean energy solutions to professionals in the maritime sector in order to limit their dependence on fossil fuels near the sea.
High Seas Treaty
For its 2023 edition, OceanHub Africa’s call for projects comes in the wake of the historic adoption of the High Seas Treaty by the UN. The Treaty rules on the exploitation of genetic resources in international waters and contains recommendations to states to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. Biological diversity is a major factor in the absorption of CO2, a leading cause of global warming.