Latest news with #UNOceansConference
Al Etihad
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Al Etihad
New push to reach plastic pollution pact
2 Aug 2025 10:04 PARIS (AFP)Negotiators will take another stab at reaching a global pact on plastic pollution at talks opening Tuesday in Geneva but face deep divisions over how to tackle the health and ecological coming 10 days of talks involving delegates from nearly 180 nations follows a failure to reach a deal last December on how to stop millions of tons of plastic waste entering the environment each pollution is so ubiquitous that microplastics have been found on the highest mountain peak, in the deepest ocean trench, and scattered throughout almost every part of the human 2022, countries agreed they would find a way to address the crisis by the end of 2024, but the talks in Busan, South Korea failed to overcome fundamental stakes are high. If nothing is done, global plastic consumption could triple by 2060, according to OECD plastic waste in soils and waterways is expected to surge 50 percent by 2040, according to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), which is acting as the secretariat for the 460 million tons of plastic are produced globally each year, half of which is single-use. And less than 10 percent of plastic waste is break down into bits so small that not only do they find their way throughout the ecosystem but into human blood and organs, recent studies show, with largely unknown consequences on the health of current and future the complexity of trying to reconcile the diverging interests of the environment, human health, and industry 'it's very possible to leave Geneva with a treaty,' UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen told the press in the runup to the text published after the failed talks in South Korea contained 300 points that still needed to be most divisive issue is whether to restrict production of new plastic, alongside a move to establish a list of chemicals considered dangerous, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a family of synthetic chemicals often called forever chemicals as they take an extremely long time to break down. In Nice in June, at the UN Oceans Conference, 96 countries, ranging from tiny island states to Zimbabwe, including the 27 members of the European Union, Mexico and Senegal, called for an ambitious treaty, including a target to reduce the production and consumption of plastics.
Observer
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Greece to create new marine reserves to protect wildlife
ATHENS: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday said that his government was creating two new protected marine areas, fulfilling a promise he made at a United Nations conference on the oceans in June. The new protected areas — in the Ionian Sea and in the Southern Cyclades in the Aegean Sea — would be "among the largest marine protected areas in the entire Mediterranean", he said in a video message in English. The prime minister said that the "hugely damaging practice of bottom trawling" by commercial fishing boats would be banned within the new marine reserves and in all Greece's marine protected areas by 2030, making it the first country in Europe to take such a significant step in preservation. Fishing is generally allowed in protected marine areas worldwide, even by trawlers which scrape the seabed with a huge funnel-shaped net, to devastating effect. Mitsotakis said that he had "made a promise to honour (Greece's) unique marine heritage" at last month's UN Oceans Conference in southern France, "and to protect it for generations to come". "Today I am delivering on that promise with the establishment of two new marine national parks... because when we protect our ocean, we protect our own future." Greece is located in the eastern Mediterranean and has around 13,600 kilometres of coastline and hundreds of islands. Greece, Brazil and Spain all used the UN conference in Nice, to announce new protected marine reserves and measures to ban bottom trawling, in order to better protect marine wildlife. Mitsotakis said that the size of the new Greek marine reserves "will enable us to achieve the goal of protecting 30 per cent of our territorial waters by 2030". He said that the government would work with "local communities, local fishermen, scientists (and) global partners (to) make these parks examples of what is possible". In May, Athens banned bottom trawling in the waters of the Fournoi Korseon island chain in the Aegean to protect recently discovered coral reefs that are exceptionally rich in marine wildlife. Neighbouring Turkiye, whose western coast is close to the Aegean islands, responded to Monday's announcement by criticising such "unilateral action". "International maritime law encourages cooperation between the coastal states of these seas, including on environmental issues," the foreign ministry in Ankara said. Mitsotakis said that "Ocean", a new documentary by British natural history broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, had inspired Greece to accelerate efforts to protect life below the waves. "Ocean", which features spectacular footage of undersea habitats and marine life, emphasises the importance of healthy seas for tackling climate change and the current sweeping loss of wild species across the planet. Mitsotakis said "Ocean" showed that the sea was "not just beautiful scenery". "It is life itself. Delicate. Powerful. And under threat." — AFP
eNCA
21-07-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Greece to create new marine reserves to protect underwater wildlife
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday said that his government was creating two new protected marine areas, fulfilling a promise he made at a United Nations conference on the oceans in June. The new protected areas -- in the Ionian Sea and in the Southern Cyclades in the Aegean Sea -- would be "among the largest marine protected areas in the entire Mediterranean", he said in a video message in English. The prime minister said that the "hugely damaging practice of bottom trawling" by commercial fishing boats would be banned within the new marine reserves and in all Greece's marine protected areas by 2030, making it the first country in Europe to take such a significant step in preservation. Fishing is generally allowed in protected marine areas worldwide, even by trawlers which scrape the seabed with a huge funnel-shaped net, to devastating effect. Mitsotakis said that he had "made a promise to honour (Greece's) unique marine heritage" at last month's UN Oceans Conference in southern France, "and to protect it for generations to come". "Today I am delivering on that promise with the establishment of two new marine national parks... because when we protect our ocean, we protect our own future." Greece is located in the eastern Mediterranean and has around 13,600 kilometres (8,450 miles) of coastline and hundreds of islands. Greece, Brazil and Spain all used the UN conference in Nice, to announce new protected marine reserves and measures to ban bottom trawling, in order to better protect marine wildlife. Mitsotakis said that the size of the new Greek marine reserves "will enable us to achieve the goal of protecting 30 percent of our territorial waters by 2030". He said that the government would work with "local communities, local fishermen, scientists (and) global partners (to) make these parks examples of what is possible". - The oceans are 'life itself' - In May, Athens banned bottom trawling in the waters of the Fournoi Korseon island chain in the Aegean to protect recently discovered coral reefs that are exceptionally rich in marine wildlife. Neighbouring Turkey, whose western coast is close to the Aegean islands, responded to Monday's announcement by criticising such "unilateral action". "International maritime law encourages cooperation between the coastal states of these seas, including on environmental issues," the foreign ministry in Ankara said. It said that Turkey was willing to cooperate with Greece and would soon announce its own plans to protect maritime areas. Greece and Turkey, both members of NATO, have historical disputes over maritime boundaries in the Aegean Sea. They signed an agreement in 2023 aimed at easing tensions. Mitsotakis said that "Ocean", a new documentary by British natural history broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, had inspired Greece to accelerate efforts to protect life below the waves. "Ocean", which features spectacular footage of undersea habitats and marine life, emphasises the importance of healthy seas for tackling climate change and the current sweeping loss of wild species across the planet. Mitsotakis said "Ocean" showed that the sea was "not just beautiful scenery".
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Greece to create new marine reserves to protect underwater wildlife
Greece to create new marine reserves to protect underwater wildlife (Pic: AP) ATHENS: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday said that his government was creating two new protected marine areas, fulfilling a promise he made at a United Nations conference on the oceans in June. The new protected areas in the Ionian Sea and in the Southern Cyclades in the Aegean Sea would be "among the largest marine protected areas in the entire Mediterranean", he said in a video message in English. The prime minister said that the "hugely damaging practice of bottom trawling" by commercial fishing boats would be banned within the new marine reserves and in all Greece's marine protected areas by 2030, making it the first country in Europe to take such a significant step in preservation. Fishing is generally allowed in protected marine areas worldwide, even by trawlers which scrape the seabed with a huge funnel-shaped net, to devastating effect. Mitsotakis said that he had "made a promise to honour (Greece's) unique marine heritage" at last month's UN Oceans Conference in southern France, "and to protect it for generations to come". "Today I am delivering on that promise with the establishment of two new marine national parks... by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo because when we protect our ocean, we protect our own future." Greece is located in the eastern Mediterranean and has around 13,600 kilometres (8,450 miles) of coastline and hundreds of islands. Greece, Brazil and Spain all used the UN conference in Nice, to announce new protected marine reserves and measures to ban bottom trawling, in order to better protect marine wildlife. Mitsotakis said that the size of the new Greek marine reserves "will enable us to achieve the goal of protecting 30 percent of our territorial waters by 2030". He said that the government would work with "local communities, local fishermen, scientists (and) global partners (to) make these parks examples of what is possible". In May, Athens banned bottom trawling in the waters of the Fournoi Korseon island chain in the Aegean to protect recently discovered coral reefs that are exceptionally rich in marine wildlife. Neighbouring Turkey, whose western coast is close to the Aegean islands, responded to Monday's announcement by criticising such "unilateral action". "International maritime law encourages cooperation between the coastal states of these seas, including on environmental issues," the foreign ministry in Ankara said. It said that Turkey was willing to cooperate with Greece and would soon announce its own plans to protect maritime areas. Greece and Turkey, both members of NATO, have historical disputes over maritime boundaries in the Aegean Sea. They signed an agreement in 2023 aimed at easing tensions. Mitsotakis said that "Ocean", a new documentary by British natural history broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, had inspired Greece to accelerate efforts to protect life below the waves. "Ocean", which features spectacular footage of undersea habitats and marine life, emphasises the importance of healthy seas for tackling climate change and the current sweeping loss of wild species across the planet. Mitsotakis said "Ocean" showed that the sea was "not just beautiful scenery". "It is life itself. Delicate. Powerful. And under threat."
Scoop
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Cook Islands Announces Protection Zone For Migrating Oceania Humpback Whales
The Cook Islands prime minister has announced a zone to protect the migratory corridors of the endangered Oceania humpback whale. RNZ Pacific Cook Islands prime minister Mark Brown has announced the creation of a zone to protect the migratory corridors of the endangered Oceania humpback whale. Brown made the announcement at the UN Oceans Conference in Nice, France. 'We can apply our traditional Ra'ui practice at ocean scale,' Brown told the conference. 'Spanning over 400,000 square kilometres, this zone will adapt with the seasons and respond to emerging threats. Its purpose is not only conservation; it is recovery.' The Cook Islands set up Marae Moana in 2017. Brown said Ra'ui To'ora reflects a growing global truth that traditional knowledge and science can work together to shape powerful solutions. 'With regional cooperation, this could become the foundation of the Pacific's first transboundary whale corridor. 'To support this, we are further exploring the establishment of the Institute of Blue Ocean Sustainability and Science, a national initiative to advance ocean governance, foster applied research, and strengthen partnerships across government, academia, industry, and traditional leadership. 'These are not radical ideas; they are overdue. This is sovereignty matched with stewardship.' Also, at the Ocean Conference, Tuvalu prime minister Feleti Teo has called for an international treaty on sea level rise. a network of highly protected marine areas (MPAs). The conference wraps up on Friday, Nice time.
