Marine and coastal conservation issues in Namibia remain underreported in the media.

This has limited their visibility in the public eye and weakened efforts to address ocean-related challenges.

These were the sentiments shared by various speakers during an Earth Day roundtable discussion in Windhoek. 

Namibia's marine ecosystem is among the most productive in the world, primarily due to the influence of the Benguela Current, which supports a vast array of fish populations. 

The marine sector contributes about 4% to the country's Gross Domestic Product, which is roughly about N$10 billion.

It also accounts for about 15% of total exports and supports over 16,000 people's livelihoods.

However, many inland communities remain disconnected from ocean-related issues.

It's against this background that the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) held a discussion on how to popularise marine conservation. 

Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection, and this year it was held under the theme "Our Power, Our Planet".