As the United Nations gears up for a landmark conference later this month in Lisbon on ocean protection and conservation, World Oceans Day today (8 June 2022) marks what could be a crucial turning point in our relationship with the sea, as noted in the European Parliament today by Grace O'Sullivan MEP.
The EU's flagship European Green Deal initiative has lit a fire under its member states to implement significant changes to ocean conservation, including an ambitious target to protect at least 30% of EU waters by 2030. A figure which for Ireland only stands at about 2% currently. A new Action Plan to conserve fisheries resources and protect marine ecosystems is expected from the European Commission in the coming days, as is a Commission review of EU fisheries policy with practices such as bottom trawling facing renewed scrutiny. New regulations under the Fit for 55 package this year aim to encourage maritime shipping towards decarbonisation.
Meanwhile, a Directive requiring EU coastal states to adopt maritime spatial plans aims to lay the groundwork for offshore renewables and marine protected area designation. This has led the Irish government to completely overhaul the marine planning process recently, paving the way for new legislation on a network of Marine Protected Areas to meet those targets.
Marking the day as the European Parliament plenary session takes place in Strasbourg, MEP for Ireland South Grace O'Sullivan remarked; "Report after report in recent years has shown us that the window of opportunity for us to reverse climate change is closing fast. Producing half of our oxygen, and absorbing over a third of CO2 emissions, one of the most important elements in the fight against climate change is the Ocean. On the ground in Ireland communities have recognised this, such as the Clean Coasts campaign organising beach clean-ups across the country this week. It is time EU and national policy pays as much attention to keeping our oceans pristine. This is the year for action, and it may be our last chance to reverse the biodiversity decline seen in recent decades."
