*This article was originally published in Japanese on August 27, 2020.
https://www.spf.org/spfnews/information/20200827.html
On May 14, 2020, the Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI) of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) held the 170
th Ocean Forum "Another Invisible Crisis — Noise Pollution in the Ocean."
The event, which was led by the director of OPRI's Ocean Policy Research Department Dr. Tomonari Akamatsu and held online for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, covered the situations surrounding ocean noise across all ocean-related fields. Topics included marine transport, maritime traffic, mineral resource exploration, and the development of ocean energy; the impact of ocean noise on marine life, such as fish and shellfish, and the marine environment; issues that organizations and countries including Japan should consider in light of both domestic and international research trends; and efforts for the future.
During opening remarks, Dr. Atsushi Sunami, then-president of OPRI (current president of SPF) stated, "the spread of COVID-19 highlights the fact that in addition to continuing our pursuit of sustainable development, modern society also must contend with the pressing challenges facing us today. The oceans are no exception, and I am renewing my belief that we must leverage our collective wisdom and actions to confront these challenges.” He also expressed his expectation to continue actively sharing information with stakeholders regarding ocean governance on topics including ocean noise while looking toward the emergence of a “new normal” after COVID-19.