EU must lead by example on deep-sea protection
New round of deep-sea closures to protect VMEs must advance
In an open letter to President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner for Fisheries & Oceans Costas Kadis, ocean organizations are calling out unacceptable EU delays in protecting vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems under mounting industry pressure.
Earlier this year, the EU launched the European Ocean Pact at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, a bold step to restore 20% of marine ecosystems by 2030 and show global ocean leadership.
But while ambition is high, progress to protect the deep-sea – vital to supporting the health and wellbeing of the whole ocean – has stalled.
Read the letter here.