Momentum building for global plastic pollution pact

Perth Now

15 hours ago

Australia has thrown its support behind a declaration to curb plastic pollution fast and deliver on a global treaty targeting waste at the source.
More than 90 countries have backed "the Nice wake-up call for an ambitious plastics treaty" at the United Nations Ocean Conference, which has taken place in the French Mediterranean coast city over the past week.
Plastic waste is projected to outweigh all fish by 2050 and is particularly harmful to seabirds and marine animals that ingest it, both in large pieces and as it breaks down into microplastics.
The tiny plastic particles have now found their way into the food chain, with exposure linked to endocrine disorders and cardiovascular problems.
A global agreement to reduce both the manufacture and consumption of plastic has been in the works since a 2022 but progress has been stalled by oil-producing nations pushing for more flexibility on production limits.
The show of support at the major ocean conference lands ahead of another round of negotiations in Geneva in August.
Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt says it's important to tackle the plastic problem across the full life cycle.
"In our Pacific region, including on Australia's coastline and offshore territories, we see the impacts of globally mismanaged plastics which are killing marine life and washing up on shore," he said in a statement.
Australia has a commitment to phasing out "problematic and unnecessary" plastics.
There have been some successes, including widespread bans on lightweight plastic shopping bags, but a 2024 policy assessment concluded more needed to be done.
Progress on the high seas treaty has also been achieved at the third UN Ocean Conference, with French President Emmanuel Macron expecting the 60 necessary ratifications to come through in time for the agreement to come into force by January 2026.
Australia has made ratification a priority when parliament returns.
Once in force, the pact will allow the creation of marine parks in international waters, key to supporting biodiversity and healthy fish stocks.
Senator Watt has also reiterated the government's commitment to classifying 30 per cent of Australian waters as "highly protected areas" by 2030.
A sizeable 44 per cent is classified as marine parks but not all those zones are fully protected from fishing and industrial activity.
Seafood Industry Australia chief executive officer Veronica Papacosta says the domestic industry is across Australia's 30 x 30 ocean protection commitment and has been working constructively with government.
"We need to make sure the ocean is protected, we only want sustainable use of the ocean," she told AAP.
But she favoured a nuanced conversation based on the latest thinking on habitat protection and sustainable fishing practices.
"The time we start getting stressed is when marine parks start getting used as an anti-fishing campaign because that's not what they should be nor what they're originally designed to do," she said.