Introduction

Text by Sophie Lo
Director of Clinique La Cherche
Master’s in Child Psychological Development from the University of Pennsylvania, USA

Taiwan, surrounded by the sea, is closely connected with the ocean. Despite being in constant contact with its beauty, the ocean remains a familiar yet mysterious entity to us.

People often go to the beach to enjoy family time or romantic sunsets. When a typhoon approaches, we feel the thrilling power of the waves through news footage. Bustling fish markets, deep-sea fish soup in Tainan, and the cargo ships and fishing boats at Keelung and Kaohsiung ports all reflect our close interaction with the ocean. Southern Taiwan’s Kenting is renowned globally for its beautiful shell beaches, attracting thousands of visitors annually for surfing, music festivals, and the stunning blue seascape.

However, behind these wonderful experiences, people often overlook the ocean’s vulnerability, with our ignorance intensifying the damage to the marine environment. Plastic items carelessly discarded by beachgoers can eventually be swept into the sea, where they may be mistakenly ingested by marine creatures. These non-degradable plastic particles ultimately return to our dining tables through the food chain. This cycle turns plastic pollution, originally presumed to remain far away from us, into something that comes back to humans.

Scientists like Laurent Lebreton published research in the September 2022 issue of Nature, revealing that 75% to 86% of plastic waste in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) originates from fishing activities, with global rivers remaining a major source of marine plastic pollution.

I’m an Ocean Keeper takes readers on a tour of the marine environment from the perspective of a cat, using dark-toned illustrations to show how human-made waste unintentionally pollutes the sea and, ultimately, returns to humans. Once marine ecology loses its balance, seemingly distant and unrelated ecosystems are disrupted, with toxins returning like a boomerang to humans, resulting in complex diseases. 

Destruction happens quickly, but rebuilding takes time. Beach cleanup volunteers are already setting examples, and the Ministry of Education has included marine environmental protection in the curriculum. Through combined efforts from both the public and the government, we are reminded that we all share the same island, and no one can stand apart.

Sunlight, air, and water are the three essential elements of life, nourishing all beings. Whether on land or sea, protecting the environment begins with each of us—small actions like picking up plastic items, and large-scale initiatives like enforcing regulations on factories and fishing vessels to limit pollutant emissions. Humanity’s concern for the marine environment and respect for coexistence with all living things cannot afford to be delayed or ignored. Let’s cherish our oceans and work together to build a healthier planet for ourselves and future generations.