The excitement prior to the opening of the 26^th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the Paris Climate Treaty was not exactly sky high. The ambitions fall short of what is needed to meet the Treaty objective of keeping global warming at 1.5°C. Moreover, past experience suggests that before concrete measures for environment protection enter into force, the destructive extractions by powerful interest groups tend to accelerate and make the conditions worse. Short-term resource grabbing is unfortunately still common, leaving the vast majority of the population to pick up the pieces and work even harder to undo the damage.

Every change journey starts with a vision. A vision gives a sense of direction – from the very personal level right up to groups and public and private organisations, large and small. And we know that overfishing is currently the biggest threat to the ocean, an ocean that suffers heavily from mass destruction across many of its ecosystems. The ocean is thus becoming also much more susceptible to global warming and various forms of pollution. The way we treat it, it can not provide the goods and services and climate stabilising function it has had.

It is time to ask: What can we do for the ocean? On 21 November is World Fisheries Day – how do you envision a healthy ocean that can support climate mitigation and sustainable fisheries? What if we were to rally together for stopping fuel guzzling and destructive bottom trawling and giving low impact artisanal fishers a chance to make a living and produce good quality food from the ocean? Together with a large alliance of civil society organisations and hundreds of scientists from around the world we demand that the WTO finally decides to stop harmful fisheries subsidies. The 12^th Ministerial Conference starting on 30 November is the best chance to deliver on this long ignored promise. That is likely to put the worst offenders out of business and reduce overfishing and illegal practices. That would be a big win for the ocean, the climate and all of us. Be part of the vision and join the change journey.

Mundus maris asbl, Belfius Bank, Rue de Linthout 224, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
IBAN: BE54 0688 9178 6297 BIC: GKCCBEBB

Contact us any time at info@mundusmaris.org. We continue welcoming help from all interested ocean lovers, including retired professionals who would like to put their lifelong experience at the service of the sustainability and blue justice causes we work for. Join us today to make a difference!

Cornelia E. Nauen and the entire Mundus maris team

Activities around the world