At the Our Ocean Conference that opened in Panama Thursday, the host government announced it is expanding its marine protected areas to cover more than half the nation’s oceans, while the EU said it will spend €816.5 million this year for various ocean protection initiatives.

The annual conference, launched in 2014 to help drive global action to protect the oceans, this year focuses on marine protected areas, sustainable blue economies, climate change, maritime security, sustainable fisheries, and marine pollution.

During his opening speech, Panama’s environment minister, Milciades Concepcion, announced the Central American country will be the first in the world to protect more than half of its ocean area.

“Today I am proud to announce that Panama is not going to stop at just having 30% of its exclusive economic zone under some level of protection, but here, at this moment and in front of more than 400 people from all over the world, together with the president of the Republic of Panama, His Excellency Mr. Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, we have signed the executive decree that expands the Banco Volcan Area of Managed Resources,” the minister said.

“Therefore, as of today, through this conference, we announce that the Republic of Panama will be conserving 54.26% of its exclusive economic zone.”

The Banco Volcan area has until now protected 14,200 sq. km of ocean, but that will now be expanded to over 90,000 sq. km, with at least half of the total zone designated as a fully protected marine area where no extractive or environmentally damaging activities will be allowed, the government said in a statement.

Panama last year said it would expand its marine protected area to at least 40% of its oceans, and the decision to go even further came after a number of organisations – the Smithsonian Institute of Tropical Research, Blue Nature Alliance, MigraMar, Mission Blue, the Wyss Foundation, and SeaLegacy – provided scientific, technical, and policy input.

“Panama’s leadership in expanding Banco Volcan has demonstrated that commitment and action on marine conservation can go beyond the standard target of protecting at least 30% of the ocean. We hope the world, and particularly other Caribbean countries, will follow Panama’s lead and protect at least 30% of their national waters – or increase their ambition beyond that commitment,” said Joaquin Labougle, regional lead for the Caribbean and Latin America at Blue Nature Alliance.

EU SPENDING

Also at the Our Ocean Conference, the EU published 39 commitments for action that it intends to take in 2023, and €816.5 mln in funding to make it happen.

“This year, louder than ever, we confirm our strong commitment to protect, restore, and take care of the ocean with a number of actions worth more than 800 million euros,” said Virginijus Sinkevicius, the EU commissioner for environment, oceans, and fisheries.

“Two months after the Kunming-Montreal global agreement for biodiversity was signed, I am glad to reiterate here in Panama the EU’s ambition to continue acting as a driving force towards ocean sustainability.”

Some €320 mln of the funds will be spent on ocean research to protect marine biodiversity and address the impacts of climate change, according to European Commission documents.

That includes helping develop the Digital Twin of the Ocean programme and implement the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance.

A further €250 mln will be spent on launching Sentinel-1C, a satellite that will conduct real-time observation of icebergs and ice melting across the arctic.

The EU will also contribute €126 mln towards protecting biodiversity and fighting climate change in Benin, Guyana, and Tanzania, and €24 mln in support of regional fisheries management organisations and bodies.

Throughout the conference a number of others, including the US and UK, made additional financial commitments to the tune of $20 billion in total, though much of that was reiterations of pledges that have been made over the past year.

By Stian Reklev – stian@carbon-pulse.com

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