International efforts to protect the "common home" of marine life

More than 400 new commitments worth $10 billion will be announced at this year's conference.

Hội nghị Đại dương của chúng ta lần thứ 9: Nỗ lực quốc tế bảo vệ 'ngôi nhà chung' của các sinh vật biển

The international community is making efforts to protect the habitat of marine species. (Source: AFP)

The 9th Our Ocean Summit, taking place from April 15-17 in Greece, was attended by delegates from about 120 countries.

On April 16, speaking at the conference, Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis emphasized: “There is a need for concrete initiatives on all major issues such as climate change, marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, sustainable blue economy , maritime safety and marine pollution.”

This year's conference will highlight issues of sustainable tourism in coastal and island areas, green maritime transport, plastic and microplastic reduction, and the green transition of the Mediterranean, he said.

On the same day, a host government official said that more than 400 new commitments worth 10 billion USD will be announced at this year's conference.

The Our Ocean Conference, launched in 2014, was the first international event to address all ocean-related issues. Participating countries pledged €122.3 billion to protect the oceans.

The 2023 conference in Panama saw $19 billion in pledges for projects addressing sustainable fishing, pollution, maritime security and protection, including €816.5 million from the European Union (EU).

In Greece, 21 initiatives with a budget of 780 million euros are underway as part of a structured strategy to protect the country's marine biodiversity.

Last week, Athens also announced the creation of two new national parks in the Ionian Sea for sea turtles and mammals and in the Aegean Sea for seabirds.

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