The European Union and the governments of 13 countries have called on nations to prioritize ratifying a UN treaty to protect the world's oceans from overfishing and other human activities, reports Reuters.
The EU and the governments of Belgium, Bermuda, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Greece, South Korea, Nigeria, Palau, the Philippines and the Seychelles have committed to the Treaty on the High Seas rapidly securing its 60 ratifications. necessary for the regulation to enter into force. This is what happened at the "Our Ocean" conference taking place this week in Athens.
The Global Compact for High Marine Biodiversity was formally adopted by the United Nations last year and is seen as a key tool for achieving the goal of protecting 30% of Earth's land and seas by 2030, known as the '30 30″.
So far, four countries – Palau, Chile, Belize and the Seychelles – have formally ratified the treaty, while 89 countries have signed it, expressing their intention to ratify it.
The European Union is committed to spending €3,5 billion to protect the ocean and promote sustainability through a series of initiatives this year," said European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginius Sinkevičius.
A total of more than 400 new commitments worth $10 billion were announced during the conference.
The 40 EU commitments announced at the annual conference range from combating marine pollution to supporting sustainable fisheries and investing in the so-called blue economy - the sustainable use of marine and freshwater resources for economic activity.
We hope to collect the remaining 60 ratifications needed for the agreement to enter into force as soon as possible. The ocean is part of who we are, and it is our shared responsibility," Sinkevichus added.
Ocean temperatures have reached record highs
The European Union's Copernicus climate change office said last month that ocean temperatures reached a record high in February, according to data dating back to 1979. Overfishing and plastic pollution are also major threats to the oceans.
The majority of EU funds will be used to support 14 investments and one reform in sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in Cyprus, Greece, Poland, Portugal and Spain. Other EU initiatives are aimed at helping African countries develop their blue economy.
Greece will spend 780 million euros on 21 commitments, which include banning bottom trawling in all of the country's marine protected areas.
The country has also pledged to establish two more marine parks, one in the Aegean Sea to protect seabirds and one in the Ionian Sea to protect marine mammals, which will cover more than 4000 sq km of protected areas within the Natura 2000 network of sites of the EU.
Mitigation and adaptation are not enough. We must also focus on protection and restoration to insulate the land and seas from harmful human activity and give nature space to heal," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said.
The Our Ocean Conference has mobilized more than 2160 commitments worth approximately $130 billion since its launch in 2014.