UN OCE CANCENONERENT: “The will is there, now you have to implement it” | EUROtoday

People from politics, science, enterprise and society meet on the UN Ocean Conference in Nice. The plan: speed up the safety of the oceans and use it sustainably, as a result of that is urgently essential, says marine researcher Boersma.

tagesschau.de: Mr. Boersma, you have got been working the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven for a month. You have researched how individuals change the ocean for a very long time in entrance of Sylt and round Helgoland. What worries you probably the most once you consider the world’s oceans?

Maarten Boersma: It is a lot of issues that fear me. On the one hand, in fact, we now have carried out loads of deliberate interventions within the sea, like fishing, and we nonetheless do it, for instance with oil platforms and now wind farms with which we intervene very strongly into the ecosystem. On the opposite hand, in fact, we additionally did loads that we really did not need: warming of the ocean, acidification of the seas, and the mixture of those needed and undesirable interventions – that worries me.

Maarten Boersma

The Dutch is a biologist and has been a provisional director of the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven since May 1, 2025. After scientific actions on the universities in Amsterdam and Kiel, he was appointed professor of experimental coastal ecology on the University of Bremen in 2012. He is especially researching the results of assorted stress elements on the zoo -oplankton in waters.

Oceans give meals and oxygen

tagesschau.de: Why is it necessary to guard the oceans?

Boersma: The seas do loads for us. They give us loads of meals from fishing, by means of aquaculture. The microalgae within the sea produce loads of oxygen. The oxygen in each second breath we make is produced within the sea. And the ocean absorbs loads of carbon dioxide and heat and due to this fact additionally performs a particularly necessary position within the regulation of our local weather.

tagesschau.de: A subject of the convention in Nice can be the plastic stripping. What are you able to do about it?

Boersma: Everything that’s already within the water is tough to get out. With bigger objects, you should still be capable to accumulate instantly. This can be tried in small initiatives, both within the sea or within the nation. But an important factor is that we keep away from plastic stripping, as a result of we use much less plastic and likewise by the truth that we steer our waste streams sensibly and take recycling critically.

Tiefsebergbau: “We don’t know what we break”

tagesschau.de: Another matter of the convention is deep -sea mountain building. Not everybody agrees. The United States, Norway and China wish to function deep -sea mountain building. What are the hazards?

Boersma: The EU is in opposition to deep -sea mining. She speaks for a moratorium. The risks are clear: we all know so little of what occurs within the deep sea. We do not even know a fraction of all organisms that dwell there. If we begin mining now and destroy the ecosystem, we do not know what we break. And we have no idea what sort of far -reaching penalties that has. So we should not do that with out affordable analysis as a result of we simply do not know what occurs.

tagesschau.de: Can a rustic like Germany do something if the United States, China and different international locations completely need to function deep -sea mountain building?

Boersma: Yes, in fact we will do one thing. What the Americans do in their very own waters is in fact tough to affect. But a really giant a part of the world’s oceans, the excessive sea, belongs to all of us. And there, Germany must be very dedicated and attempt to convey a few rethink in order that we’re cautious what we do with our surroundings.

“Don’t take out more than is produced again”

tagesschau.de: Another main matter of the convention is sustainability. Can you employ the ocean sustainably in any respect, and if that’s the case, how?

Boersma: Yes, we must always use it sustainably. Lots of people dwell on the coast. We have at all times used the ocean, and that may proceed to occur. And should you studied fishing, for instance, you get taught within the first or second hour easy methods to make sustainable fishing: not more than be produced once more. However, because of this in fact we now have to restrict ourselves that we don’t fishing the utmost shares, but in addition that we have to know what’s sustainable. On the one hand, we’d like the desire to try this, however we additionally want the data and switch of this information of science to politics.

tagesschau.de: Let’s check out the north and the Baltic Sea. What in regards to the sea instantly in entrance of our door?

Boersma: Apart from the clear warming, significantly lately and the nonetheless persevering with entries of pollution, the North Sea is significantly better in sure areas than 40, 50 years in the past. We have a lot much less vitamins within the North Sea, and that is good. The water is clearer and we now have no oxygen downside.

Oxygen is an issue in waters with many vitamins. And we nonetheless see that within the Baltic Sea. The North Sea is heading in the right direction on this regard. We will not be that far on the Baltic Sea but. And then in fact there’s additionally the Baltic Sea that we now have loads of ammunition issues that we at the moment are going.

tagesschau.de: At the second additionally a subject on the convention in Nice.

Boersma: Ammunition is talked about at many occasions. It is in fact one thing that isn’t solely involved with Germany. There are a number of locations within the Mediterranean the place loads of ammunition was deposited within the sea and likewise in different international locations.

“I hope for binding agreements”

tagesschau.de: What are shiny spots? What are issues which might be going properly once you consider marine safety now?

Boersma: Well, we’re doing loads. There is discuss loads of facets in each nationwide and worldwide waters. For instance, we attempt to construct marine safety areas, additionally in worldwide waters. The solely factor that must be carried out now must be carried out. The will is there for a lot of international locations and likewise with people. Now it nonetheless must be carried out.

tagesschau.de: What do you personally hope for from the convention?

Boersma: I hope that we’ll make dependable and binding agreements as a worldwide neighborhood. Everything is voluntary. That’s good. The intentions are there. But now in fact acts need to comply with. What the EU does with its European Ocean Pact, the place all the pieces is actually to be collected – this drive to guard our oceans and use it sustainably – is nice. I hope that it actually will get a thrust.

Inga Wonnemann led the interview for Tagesschau24. It was revised for the written model and barely shortened.