The dialogue with youth leaders will be a continuation of the sixth summit with this sector to see their contribution and no less than 70 solutions presented in this forum, which is attended by about 600 delegates on behalf of governments, NGOs, scientific bodies and the private sector. Corporations committed to defending the oceans.
There will also be commissions on sustainable fishing, in particular on certification processes and the application of new technologies that ensure greater transparency of this activity.
In addition, they will evaluate in another workshop the topic of security in light of the fact that more than 90 percent of world trade takes place by sea and the call for the integration of science and new technologies, to improve maritime transport procedures, including monitoring. and security – respect for the marine environment.
Among the announcements on the eve of the first day stood out the one from Panama, announcing that it would extend the protection of its exclusive economic zone to 54.33 percent, exceeding the record target of 30 percent set by the UN’s 30 by 30 initiative.
President Laurentino Cortizo signed a decree before the plenary on the opening day of the forum, expanding the Banco Vulcan Marine Reserve, in the Caribbean, from 14,212 square kilometers, which was created in 2015, to more. 93 thousand square kilometers.
According to experts, the expansion of the Banco Vulcan Managed Resource Area includes four submerged hills, as well as deep plains and geological formations associated with high biodiversity that includes highly migratory and endangered marine species.
Another commitment has been made by the European Union, which has promised to disburse more than 800 million euros for marine protection programs in 2023.
Speaking of the international governance of the oceans and posing various challenges, the club announced that it would fund the measures with €816.5 million (about $865 million).
Of this amount, the European Union specified, they will allocate 320 million euros for ocean research, protection of marine biodiversity and addressing the effects of climate change on this ecosystem, in addition to that they will renew the satellite constellation with the launch of Sentinel-1C for a value of 250 million euros.
They will allocate another 12 million euros to facilitate access to the data and products of Copernicus, an Earth observation program for environmental protection, through a regional center operating in Panama.
On the other hand, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry announced that his country will start talks with Fiji and Panama with the aim of establishing environmental sea lanes for the transit of ships.
Ecological sea lanes are routes between different ports that limit ship transit to those with zero or low carbon emissions, and aim to prevent pollution as well as control fishing activity to protect marine species.
Many of the researchers and authorities from the region and the world taking part in the forum hope that on Friday the Treaty on Extrajudicial Areas will be signed in New York, as part of the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity, a text being negotiated at the United Nations. United since February 20, but key to preserving the oceans.
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