What is the « Revive Our Ocean » initiative that comes to save the Greek seas
Taking over the overfishing and the consequences of climate change in Greece is one of the first goals of the Revive Our Ocean initiative announced on Thursday with the support of the well -known British presenter and naturalist David Atenborough.
Revive Our Ocean, led by National Geographic Society and NGOs Dynamic Planet, promotes the creation of marine protected areas (MPA) in coastal waters.
In addition to Greece, the first actions of the program will focus on Britain, Portugal, Turkey, Mexico and the Philippines.
The initiative could help achieve the goal of protection at 30% of the land and ocean surface by 2030, as provides for an international agreement of 2022.
David Atenboro is best known as a BBC documentary presenter (Reuters)
According to the heads of Revive Our Ocean, the goal requires the delimitation of at least 190,000 marine protected areas.
This could also offer economic benefits, according to a study showing that the protection regime increases fish in neighboring areas and stimulates tourism.
« Marine protected areas are good business, » Christine Recheberger, founder of Revive Our Ocean, told Reuters.
« It is time for people to realize that maritime protected areas are the structural stones of the blue economy, » he said.
Representatives of the International Community are meeting this week in New York to discuss the implementation of the UN Treaty on the high seas that was agreed in 2023.
The treaty was signed by more than 100 countries, but to date only 21 have ratified it, much less than the 60 required to bring the agreement to force.
More countries are expected to ratify it ahead of the UN oceans conference in France in June.
Environmental organizations warn that the treaty must enter into force this year in order to set its target 30%.
Today, only 8% of the planet’s oceans and seas, about 29 million square kilometers, are under protection.
The US has been involved in the negotiation of the oceans agreement, but is absent from this week’s negotiations and is not expected to ratify it.
