Overview

• The European Commission presented its ocean protection strategy on June 5 ahead of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, aiming to tackle warming, acidification and pollution.
• Conservation NGOs including Surfrider, WWF, ClientEarth and Oceana criticize the draft for lacking concrete actions, such as an immediate ban on destructive bottom trawling.
• Scientists at the One Ocean Science Congress issued ten key recommendations urging measures to reduce CO2 emissions from maritime transport, end illegal fishing and protect 30% of oceans by 2030.
• France, the world’s second-largest maritime power, will defend the EU’s plan at the Nice summit while facing calls to reverse recent environmental rollbacks and raise ambition.
• Debate is intensifying over reforming the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, modernizing aging fleets and launching a common aquaculture policy to reduce the bloc’s 70% seafood import dependency.