Four actions we as a planet can take to help save the oceans

In honour of today being World Oceans Day, we’ve put together this list of four Greens/EFA demands on how the European and global community can protect Earth’s oceans. With the United Nations Ocean Conference taking place this week, now is the time to get the planet talking about this issue.

1. Take action to protect the marine environment by tackling the problem of marine litter and finding solutions to land-based and sea based marine litter. Plastic and other forms of waste choke our oceans and contaminate the fish we eat.

2. Combat Illegal Unregulated and Unreported (UUI) fishing. This can be done by improving the international governance of our oceans and by encouraging countries to move towards a system of sustainable fishery. This will help replenish fish stocks and restore balance to the oceans’ ecosystems.

3. Prioritise conservation and management by increasing the number of Marine Protected areas (MPAs) to reach the 10% coverage target. This will contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals targets and protect the wonders of the deep for future generations.

4. Push for policies that promote tackling climate change and ocean acidification. Healthy oceans are important carbon sinks and are incredibly important in the fight against greenhouse gases.

The Greens/EFA group is committed to fighting for a better environment and better living conditions for everyone. With your support, we can continue the fight to make Europe a beacon of sustainability and climate action.