Greens/EFA call for protection of our seas and marine life

Today, at the initiative of the Greens/EFA, MEPs will debate the recent ecological disaster off the coast of Galicia. The Greens/EFA Group call for urgent measures to be taken to mitigate the impact on the environment and the marine fauna, for the inclusion of Maritime Transport on the Proposal for a Regulation on preventing Pellet Losses to reduce Microplastic Pollution and for plastic pellets to be included in the Maritime Safety Package.

Ana Miranda MEP, Greens/EFA Member of the Committees on Fisheries, comments:

“Tragedy struck our shores on December 8, when the Toconao ship accidentally released a sea of plastic pellets along the coast of Galicia. The impact of this spill will have profound consequences on both the environment and the people who depend on the sea for a living, and could last for years, potentially leading to a devastating loss of marine life and an ecological catastrophe.

“The Galician government’s response has been slow and inadequate. We cannot underestimate the gravity of this spill and its consequences on the environment. The lack of information and transparency from the Galician Government is appalling, these pellets will stay on our shores for years before they disappear. The people of Galicia deserve better.

“We call for the protection of the sea and of marine life. We can no longer allow accidents like these to happen in our waters. Twenty years after the Prestige accident, the Galician coasts are suffering again. This should be the last time we see plastic devastating our shores.”