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Publications

H 1 LIFE & the Marine Environment.

CAMARSA Gabriella, SILVA João Pedro, TOLAND Justin, ELDRIDGE Jon

2018

76p.

Focus

Clean and healthy oceans are crucial to the wellbeing of our planet. That is why it has been one of the priorities of my mandate. That is why I was given the new portfolio that combined Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. When the Ocean makes up 70% of our planet it makes sense that we consider the blue and green of our planet together. The EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive looks at the pressures on the marine environment. How do we limit damage to marine biodiversity and ecosystems and restore their good environmental status? Millions make a living from the sea. We must ensure it is compatible with a healthy marine environment. The EU has developed strong instruments to make this happen. For marine biodiversity in the EU, the Birds and Habitats Directives and the Natura 2000 network of marine protected areas play the major role. Having well-managed protected areas is key to the recovery of the marine environment. It increases productivity while respecting its rich biodiversity. By taking a coordinated approach to biodiversity, marine, fisheries and maritime policy, the EU can be a global leader in marine conservation. One of LIFE’s strengths is to join different policies that have an impact on the health of our seas. The result? Good environmental status for EU marine waters. LIFE projects are practical tools in the fight against marine litter or invasive alien species, among others. They help balance or reduce any negative impacts of fishing and aquaculture, underwater noise, marine contaminants and eutrophication: • Fighting marine litter is one of the highest profile achievements of this Commission. To complement our flagship plastics strategy, we have developed projects that support clean-up schemes and prevention campaigns. I particularly liked the MERMAIDS project, which developed fabric treatments to stop microplastics from our clothes ending up in the sea. • It’s just as important to tackle the spread and impact of invasive alien species in coastal areas. LIFE projects such as RAPID in the UK are doing this in a comprehensive way. • It’s also great to see projects working with fishing communities to mainstream sustainable practices, such as precision methods that cut down on by-catch. This makes commercial sense, as well as being more resource efficient. LIFE’s best practices can promote blue growth and job creation in the marine and maritime sectors. • We have to find new ways to prevent and treat the causes of eutrophication. The Urban Oases project in Finland shows that vegetated swales for rainwater retention in cities are more attractive and more cost efficient than bigger stormwater pipes. • We need to work together to make sure governance and transboundary management of marine pressures works. LIFE is at the forefront of such efforts. For instance, the BIAS project brought together partners from seven countries and worked closely with HELCOM to develop standards for measuring and mapping underwater noise in the Baltic Sea. • Exceptional stakeholder engagement is a feature of the LIFE programme and it’s pleasing to note that LIFE Integrated Projects have an even greater capacity to build bonds. This can help boost marine biodiversity through species conservation and support for marine protected areas across Europe, as the LIFE-IP INTEMARES project is showing.

Thematic dossier

ENVIRONMENT, NATURE & CLIMATE, waste, fishery, marine environment

waste, fishery, marine environment

978-92-79-88529-7

2314 9329

KH-AJ-18-001-EN-N

English

LIFE

Z