Guardian ‘Auditors slam EU for ‘marine protected areas’ that fail to protect ocean
Only 1% of the 3,000 supposedly protected areas in the Mediterranean ban fishing
Europe’s marine protected areas (MPAs), set up to prevent biodiversity loss at sea, are failing to protect the oceans according to an excoriating report from auditors. Click here to read this
Examining actions to protect marine life over the past decade, the European court of auditors raised a “red flag” warning the EU had failed to halt marine biodiversity loss in Europe’s waters and restore fishing to sustainable levels.
Its report concluded there had been “no meaningful signs of progress” in the Mediterranean, the most overfished sea in the world, where the report said fishing is now at twice the sustainable level.
The news follows Guardian Seascape revelations on the so-called “paper parks” that marine conservationists say allow bottom trawling and other activities harmful to vulnerable marine habitats.
The report’s findings echoed a recent assessment by the European Environment Agency (EEA), which found fewer than 1% of European MPAs were fully protected by fishing bans, and urged better management of protected areas.
The auditors, who visited Italy, Spain, Portugal and France, found these states had used only 6% of a €6bn (£5.42bn) European Maritime and Fisheries Fund aimed at supporting environmental protection.
Click here to read the report