Back to the Source: Saving Europe’s Biodiversity Starts in the Ocean

The document argues that EU Member States have failed to achieve 'good environmental status' for their seas and calls for a shift in fisheries management from maximizing yield to ecosystem restoration. It proposes ten specific actions, including the protection of 30% of oceans by 2030, the prohibition of bottom-trawling in Marine Protected Areas, the removal of harmful fishing subsidies, and the implementation of a Global Ocean Treaty for areas beyond national jurisdiction.

• EU Member States have not met the conservation objectives established by existing laws, such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, which required seas to reach 'good environmental status' by 2020.
• The document advocates for a '30x30' target, meaning at least 30% of EU and global oceans should be fully or highly protected by 2030, including the establishment of a Global Ocean Treaty for Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.
• Current EU fisheries management must shift its core objective from maximizing yield to restoring fish populations to levels that support marine ecosystem health and critical services like carbon storage and oxygen production.
• The EU provided over two billion dollars in capacity-enhancing subsidies in 2018, which the document claims incentivize destructive fishing practices and often benefit vessel owners rather than fishers.
• The brief recommends a restoration target of at least 15% of EU seas, prioritizing ecosystems that capture and store carbon and protect against natural disasters.

APA

ClientEarth (2020). Back to the Source: Saving Europe’s Biodiversity Starts in the Ocean. https://www.clientearth.org/media/taqh0xq1/back-to-the-source_saving-europe-s-biodiversity-starts-in-the-ocean.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Back to the Source: Saving Europe’s Biodiversity Starts in the Ocean. 2020. https://www.clientearth.org/media/taqh0xq1/back-to-the-source_saving-europe-s-biodiversity-starts-in-the-ocean.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=Back to the Source: Saving Europe’s Biodiversity Starts in the Ocean |date=November 2020 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/taqh0xq1/back-to-the-source_saving-europe-s-biodiversity-starts-in-the-ocean.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearth2020back, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Back to the Source: Saving Europe’s Biodiversity Starts in the Ocean}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/taqh0xq1/back-to-the-source_saving-europe-s-biodiversity-starts-in-the-ocean.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }