New WWF polling across Germany, Spain and Sweden lands as Brussels prepares its Ocean Act – and finds overwhelming public backing for better protection of EU seas.
A stretch of the sea can be called “protected” and still be trawled, dredged and emptied of life. Europeans have noticed, and they want it to stop. In new WWF research across three EU countries, 93% of participants say destructive fishing should not be allowed in marine protected areas.
The message runs deeper than a single number: the report shows that 87% think the EU should do more to protect marine life while 89% call overfishing a threat to the ocean.
“Overwhelming support holds firmly across the political spectrum – left, centre and right alike. On the pressing issue of protecting the ocean, Europe is not divided,” said Jacob Armstrong, Ocean Policy Manager at WWF European Policy Office. “The Ocean Act, expected at the end of the year, is our moonshot for real marine protection. Policy-makers must make protection commitments legally binding – namely protecting at least 30% of Europe’s seas, with at least 10% under strict protection.”
WWF is calling on EU law-makers to use the Ocean Act to turn existing promises into enforceable rules. This means a management plan for every site – today, just 2.04% of EU seas sit inside an MPA that has one – and a firm end to destructive activities within their boundaries. WWF is also urging law-makers to respect the catch limits Europeans want kept in place.
“Nearly nine in ten people told us overfishing threatens the ocean, and they are right. The tool to stop this already exists: the Common Fisheries Policy requires catch limits to be set at sustainable levels and where governments respect that, stocks noticeably recover. That policy is now under review, and some want it reopened. Law-makers must listen to the science and the public and hold the line on sustainable fishing limits,” says Laure Guillevic, Ocean Policy Officer at WWF European Policy Office.
The ocean has given Europe food, jobs and a coastline worth protecting for generations. The window to secure it is open now, and it will not stay open for long.
