Greenpeace urges government to honor sea protection vow

Greenpeace has called on the Greek government to honor the commitments it made in April, at the Our Ocean Conference, noting that Athens has not ratified the UN Oceans Treaty nor established new marine protected areas.

In an announcement, the environmental group noted that a year after countries signed the treaty, only eight have ratified it. If not ratified by 60 countries, it will not be implemented.

“Experts fear that if the treaty follows the disappointing trajectory of previous examples of multilateral environmental agreements with a similar international reach, it will enter into force at the earliest in 2031, when scientists say we need to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030,” it said.

Greenpeace also urged Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to expedite the establishment of marine protected areas.

Kathimerini has learned that the Natural Environment & Climate Change Agency’s proposal for two marine parks in the Ionian and Aegean is being processed by the Environment Ministry. 

Kathimerini