Writer: Junior Gama Pinto
I am Junior Gama Pinto, a graduate student in Fisheries and Marine Science at the Faculty of Agriculture, Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa’e (UNTL). This year, as part of the 2025 World Ocean Day celebration, I would like to share our stories and commitments dedicated to the ocean and seas of Timor-Leste since 2018, when I began my college journey as one of the active pioneer students in this field.
In 2018, we organized Timor-Leste’s first World Ocean Day celebration with a simple internal seminar, not open to the public, held at Campus Liceu. I served as the event coordinator. That year, the global theme was “Clean Our Ocean,” and our seminar theme, in Portuguese, was “Oceano saudável garantir prosperidade de valor social e cultural” (“A healthy ocean ensures social and cultural prosperity”). After the seminar, we participated in a beach clean-up along Dili Rock West, in front of the Pelican Paradise construction site, organized by Movimento Tasi Moos and the European Union.
In 2019, the global theme was “Gender and Oceans,” but we did not adopt a sub-theme in Timor-Leste. As the newly elected nucleus president of the Fisheries and Marine Science Student Association, we organized a beach clean-up along the beach of BJ Habibe Bridge for the celebration. Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, no activities were held in 2020 or 2021.
The World Ocean Day celebration in 2022 marked a significant milestone for our advocacy efforts, particularly in promoting Blue Economy development in Timor-Leste. As the second event coordinator under Dr. Mario Marques Cabral, I was very proud because we were successfully invited His Excellency Dr. Jose Ramos Horta, President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, to open the national seminar. Speakers included representatives from relevant ministries, NGOs, companies, and stakeholders engaged in ocean-related Blue Economy initiatives. The global theme, “Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean,” aligned with our national seminar theme: “Collective Action to Develop Blue Economy for Timor-Leste.” Additional activities included exhibitions, beach clean-ups, and underwater clean-ups.
Besides, we also participated in the Ocean Conference through Blue Talks, held at the Portugal Embassy, with opening remarks delivered by His Excellency Kayrala Xana Gusmao, the actual Prime Minister of RDTL. The organizing committee reported to the World Ocean Day organization that Timor-Leste also celebrates this important day to recognize the ocean contribution to Timor-Leste people and the economies.
In the following year of 2023, the organizing committee was led by one of my friends and he is João Ratão Magno with the same global and national theme. Activities included scientific article writing competition, beach clean-up and underwater clean-up with the main activity was the national seminar that engaged different participants from universities, youth groups, diving companies, related NGOs and relevant ministries, especially Ministry of Tourism, Commerce and Industry, His Excellency Dr. Jose Lucas do Carmo da Silva.
Earlier that year, we celebrated International Biodiversity Day on 22 of March in Hera, near Dolokoan with the community, youth-led environmental groups and relevant international NGOs. Then we also celebrated World Environment Day on 5 June of the same year.
Then last year of 2024, the organizing committee was led by one of the colleges and her name is Sergiana Fernandes. The activities for the celebration were beach and underwater clean-up, photography competition and the national seminar. The activities involved different youth groups, universities, diving companies and relevant NGOs. The national theme for the seminar was “Preserving our ocean as part of our lives now and in coming years” that aligned with the global theme as “Catalysing Action for Our Ocean & Climate”
Over the years, these celebrations have created meaningful moments and successful activities. Beyond mere observances, the primary goal has been to advocate for the ocean’s vital role in driving Blue Economy development in Timor-Leste, both now and in the future. And apart from that, it was to recognize its contribution as well to coastal communities for food security and livelihoods.
Lastly, I am very glad that this year, the national government has taken the initiative to organize activities directly across several municipalities, including Dili, Atauro, Manatuto, Lautem, and Ainaro. I believe this is a significant step that will amplify existing efforts to educate Timorese people about the ocean and seas, their potential to drive the Blue Economy, and their role in sustaining coastal communities—now and in the future.
