Seas At Risk

a painting of a seaweed forest with fish swimming around ALT: a painting of a seaweed forest with fish swimming around

🌊 On #MPADay, let's remember that most EU MPAs still allow destructive fishing like #BottomTrawling. Real protection means banning harmful practices and ensuring our marine ecosystems can thrive. 🌍🐠 #ProtectedMeansProtected

Global deep-sea mining talks yield mixed verdict: No mining for now but no reform either - Seas At Risk As the International Seabed Authority (ISA) concluded its July 2025 Council and Assembly meetings in Kingston, one clear message stood out: deep-sea mining in international waters remains off limits –...

🌊 Deep-sea mining is still on hold - but so is reform.

#ISBA30 saw some steps forward but vital progress was blocked on transparency, safeguards & environmental governance.

✅ No Mining Code
❌ No reform
🌍 38 countries now back a moratorium

Read our take: 🔗 seas-at-risk.org/general-news...

Good news from Ireland! ☘️
There's growing momentum to restrict #BottomTrawling, but still a long way to go as the EU continues to allow the seabed to be bulldozed in 'protected' areas. Protection on paper alone isn't enough - real protection means banning bottom trawling in #MarineProtectedAreas.

👋 Are you passionate about bringing the plight of the ocean closer to people and politics? 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗦𝗿. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿! Join the Seas At Risk team and make waves with us! 🌊

✨ Read more and apply by 31 July! 🔗 seas-at-risk.org/careers/

🔴 The EU’s updated Climate Law falls short of delivering the real solutions needed to reach real zero.

The new proposal rely on international carbon offsets and #CDR — approaches that undermine climate ambition and delay real emission cuts.

Read more 👇
www.realzeroeurope.org/resources/pr...

🌊 Good news for Danish seas! 🇩🇰

Denmark will create trawl-free areas in 19% of its marine waters, including the entire #BeltSea and key #Natura2000 sites.

This is a major step for vulnerable seabed ecosystems, oxygen-depleted fjords & #marinebiodiversity 👏

🔗 seas-at-risk.org/press-releas...

🥳 #OSPAR ministers have agreed to ban harmful exhaust gas cleaning systems (aka #Scrubbers) discharges in North-East Atlantic waters

🌊 💪 Now it is time to push forward with a full ban on scrubber discharges in territorial waters

Read on to find out more: seas-at-risk.org/press-releas...

A successful & just transition to #RenewableEnergy needs community engagement at its core. Join us for our panel discussion on Thursday to learn from some leaders on the people-first approach to #OffshoreRenewables!

Haven't registered yet? 🎟️ 👇 www.eventbrite.com/e/1389404569...

🌊 20 NGOs have signed an open letter to Environment ministers @ OSPAR to ban scrubber discharges from ships & protect marine life from harmful shipping pollution.
🐟 Banning toxic water is a crucial step to protect biodiversity & drive #shipping's #green transition

seas-at-risk.org/publications...

🌊🐟 Stand with our German member @bund.net to protect the wonderful #Doggerbank protected area! ✍️Sign and share the #DoggerbankPetition to defend this #MarineProtectedArea from the destruction produced by bottom trawl nets.
Let's make a difference together! 🌍👉aktion.bund.net/doggerbank

OCEaN welcomes Seas at Risk as a supporting organisation - OCEaN OCEaN welcomes Seas at Risk as a supporting organisation - New Member

🙌 We are proud to share that we've joined the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature, working to advocate for policies that balance #OffshoreWind and energy grids with marine protection. ⚖️ 🌊

🔗 Read the full announcement 👉 offshore-coalition.eu/ocean-welcom... @renewablesgrid.bsky.social

#EUSEW2025

How can the EU and Member States accelerate the #renewables transition while keeping local communities at its core? 🇪🇺

📅 26 June: Join us for a panel (& breakfast 😏) as we discuss centring community engagement in #OffshoreWind projects 🌬️

Learn more & register now: seas-at-risk.org/events/from-...

The world just got closer to an ocean-saving treaty France claims victory as enough nations promise to ratify the high seas treaty despite opposition from Trump’s America.

The race to save the world's oceans is on.

The United Nations Oceans Conference in Nice, France ended today with promises from world leaders to ratify a global, binding agreement to help protect the world’s oceans by September.

UNOC: EU's environmental reputation in tatters as it fails marine protected areas on international stage - Seas At Risk Europe’s pressured marine protected areas (MPAs) and the life they harbour have been left to fend for themselves by European leaders who gathered this week for the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNO...

🌊 The EU's ocean reputation took a hit at #UNOC.

While #BottomTrawling ravages Marine Protected Areas, most EU leaders offered little more than lip service. 🛑

#OurOcean deserves better.

🔗 Full story: seas-at-risk.org/press-releas...

#ProtectedMeansProtected #BanBottomTrawling

Spain’s Fisheries Minister 🎣 used the UN Ocean Conference (#UNOC) to defend #BottomTrawling - right as others discuss ocean protection.

While some countries are banning trawling in protected areas, Spain drags its feet.

EU nature laws exist. It’s time to enforce them.

efeagro.com/pesca-arrast...

Portugal made a major step towards #30x30 by expanding an MPA with a % fully protected! 🤩💙

Meanwhile, EU leaders at #UNOC3 are all talk and no action… 🥱

Read the full PR from our member @sciaena-ngo.bsky.social here: www.sciaena.org/en/sciaena-c...

#ProtectedMeansProtected

We’re here at #UNOC3 🎉 One of our top asks to @ec.europa.eu is to get a legally binding #OceanAct out of the #OceanPact - a message our Exec Director shared with @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu & Commissioner Kadis🤝 Their presence here sets the right tone that #OurOcean needs all the attention it can get.

Over 2500 participants 👯‍♀️🕺🤾🧜‍♀️ joined the #BlueMarch in Nice for #UNOC3! Citizens and civil society are calling on politicians to truly protect #MarineProtectedAreas and take more concrete actions for our ocean! 🌊 #ProtectedMeansProtected #MPAs #UNOC3

🌊The #OceanPact is out and it's a bit of a mixed bag for ocean health. Steps have been made at a time when we need to take leaps 🦘
We've unpacked it all in our press release. Take a look at where it works, and where it's falling short: seas-at-risk.org/press-releas...

@ec.europa.eu @alicemhancock.bsky.social @eddywax.bsky.social @roberthodgson.bsky.social

"The Ocean Pact announced today is a mixed bag of positives and negatives. The promised Ocean Act needs to cut through the confusion and contradiction to ensure the ocean is truly protected and the EU commits firmly to a regenerative blue economy" Says Monica Verbeek, Executive Director, Seas At Risk

Today's final #OceanPact contains:
✅ The good (no to #DeepSeaMining)
❌ The bad (weak commitment on funding)
💩 And the ugly (no action to #BanBottomTrawling in MPAs)
The #OceanAct is promising & could pave the way for a healthy ocean, but *only* if it's bold & binding. #UNOC3

We are tired of hearing the same old Cormorant-diss track😡

Today, at the Conference on 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴, we heard the same blame-game song lines we have been hearing since the 70ies.

#Cormorants were blamed for fish stock decline instead of the real culprits

⚠️The ocean is in crisis and we’re calling for urgent action NOW. Will world leaders at #UNOC3 answer? 📲On June 7, we’ll be marching because life on land and at sea depends on it. Join us at the #BlueMarch2025. 🌊 bluemarch2025.org

Factsheet: Marine Protected Areas in the EU: ensuring legal compliance and effective enforcement - Seas At Risk Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the European Union are established under EU laws including the Habitats Directive, to conserve rare, threatened, or endemic animal and plant species, along with their ...

🌊#MPAs are vital against #BiodiversityLoss & #ClimateChange! Yet, destructive fishing practices, like #BottomTrawling undermine them. Find out how legal compliance & enforcement can safeguard the ocean! #ProtectedMeansProtected #UNOC3👉
seas-at-risk.org/publications...

📢Marine NGOs filed a legal complaint against the
@ec.europa.eu. Destructive fishing practices in #MPAs, like #BottomTrawling, violate nature laws & endanger the ocean. NGOs urge the EC to take infringement action. #ProtectedMeansProtected #UNOC3 👉 seas-at-risk.org/press-releas...

2 former EU Commissioners join calls on their successor Costas Kadis to ensure his #OceansPact is bold & binding to address the threats #OurOcean faces. With #UNOC just days away all eyes are on him to show the EU can be the leader the ocean 🌊 & planet 🌍 so badly need euobserver.com/green-econom...

Seas At Risk @ UNOC3 - Seas At Risk This June, Seas At Risk will be at UNOC3. Join us! Heads of state and high-level policy-makers are flocking to the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) to make decisions on the future of the oc...

We're going to #UNOC3 in Nice! ☀️🇫🇷

Catch us from 7–12 June at key events on ocean action, starting with the #BlueMarch2025💙

Full schedule: seas-at-risk.org/events/sar-u... #SARatUNOC

🌊 The upcoming European #OceanPact must secure a sustainable, low-impact blue economy that supports both the environment & local communities.

A healthy ocean means a healthier future for everyone. Let's make it happen before it's too late

#BlueManifesto #EUOceanPact

Towards restoring nature in Europe Evaluation of National Restoration Plans

Check out the evaluation of EU MS’ progress on the #NatureRestaurationLaw, a key law to bring healthy seas back to the EU!
👉 www.restorenature.eu/en/our-work-...
Next important milestone: #UNOC3. Looking forward to strong MS' commitments on #OceanProtection!
#BiodiversityDay #RestoreNature