“Our Ocean Conference”- Skylakakis outlines Greece's commitments for the protection of the seas

The minister, in the presence of the former US Secretary of State, John Kerry, during whose tenure the OOC initiative was launched in 2014, announced that Greece has made 21 commitments, with a total budget of more than 800 million dollars, which also cover the six main thematic areas of the Conference namely: 1. Marine Protected Areas, 2. Sustainable Blue Economy, 3. Tackling Climate Change, 4. Maritime Safety, 5. Sustainable Fisheries and 6. Marine Pollution.

Among the commitments, Skylakakis said is the creation of two marine parks in the Aegean and the Ionian, which will be among the largest in the Mediterranean. It is noted that for their surveillance, a state-of-the-art monitoring system will be used, with drones, radar, satellites and boats, in real time. For the implementation of these initiatives, resources will be allocated from the Recovery and Resilience Fund. In addition, the role of the Natural Environment and Climate Change Organization will be institutionally strengthened, while the cooperation of the authorities with the Coast Guard will be immediate.

The Minister of Environment and Energy, highlighting the contribution of the oceans and seas to regulating the climate and ensuring our survival on the planet, emphasized that measures must be taken to protect them immediately.

"Climate change, but also marine pollution, mainly from plastics, and unsustainable maritime transport, as well as uncontrolled fishing, lead to the destruction of the marine environment and the loss of the unique biodiversity," Skylakakis poitned out and added: "With the '9th Our Ocean Conference' we seek to keep the protection of the marine environment at the top of the global political agenda."