EU and Canada entered into an agreement aiming to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fisheries, marine pollution and climate change. The agreement will enable the easy implementation of the 3030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, mostly focusing on Goal 14, while also will facilitate the sustainable development of marine and maritime sectors.
Specifically, the agreement leads the path to a more sustainable marine future, and future collaboration in areas, such as:
- the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in the high seas;
- the fight against marine pollution, including marine plastic litter and micro-plastics;
- the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change as relevant to the oceans;
- the prevention of unregulated commercial fishing in the central Arctic;
- the strengthening of ocean governance in regional and global forums;
- the promotion of safe and decent living and working conditions at sea;
- the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
In the meantime, Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries commented that illegal fishing and the overall pollution of the marine environment isn’t a problem that each country can solve on its own.
No country, or region, can tackle these problems alone. I am delighted that, together, EU and Canada are leading the way to healthier oceans.
Moreover, the European Commission launched the Ocean Partnerships tool in efforts on boosting international and bilateral cooperation to tackle important issues rising in the maritime sector. Concerning the cooperation between Canada and the EU, their partnership goes way back in cooperation on ensuring conservation and sustainable use of the oceans.
The signing of this ocean partnership, one year after the first such agreement was signed with China, confirms the EU’s preference for strong partnerships and international cooperation.
