The future of the oceans will be discussed today and tomorrow at the National Marine Conference with international participation in Berlin.
Today and tomorrow, representatives from federal and state governments, companies, associations, administrations and research are taking part in the first National Marine Conference. It is being held under the title “Living Seas” with around 400 participants at Berlin’s Westhafen Event & Convention Center.
The environmental status of the North Sea and Baltic Sea has only partially improved in recent years. Reasons for this include the accumulation of nutrients, for example from wastewater, and pollution from harmful substances. The rise in sea surface temperature, analyzed weekly by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), places additional pressure on the North Sea and Baltic Sea. The data from the higher federal authority shows that the North Sea has warmed by almost 1.5 degrees since 1969. The Baltic Sea has already warmed by an average of 1.9 degrees since 1990.
Marine conference creates visibility
As a central marine policy forum, the National Marine Conference is therefore intended to emphasize the importance of intact and sustainably used seas for Germany, create visibility for marine policy issues and bring national players together with selected international players, including UN Special Envoy Peter Thomson and the French President’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, Olivier Poivre d’Arvor.
The aim of the conference is to present and discuss solutions for the growing environmental problems in the sea and concrete measures, including for a qualitative strengthening of marine protected areas in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, to combat marine pollution, for example by plastic or too many nutrients, and nature-compatible forms of marine use. The national conference will also serve to prepare German contributions for the third UN Ocean Conference (June 9-13, 2025 in Nice, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica).
“Important player for marine conservation”
“Germany is an important player in marine conservation and has played a key role in advancing international processes such as the High Seas Convention, the precautionary approach under the International Seabed Authority and the negotiation of the treaty against plastic pollution,” said UN Special Envoy for the Ocean Peter Thomson. “Especially in times when multilateral cooperation is under pressure, this is more important than ever. I am confident that the new German Federal Government will continue to work ambitiously on the international stage for effective marine protection.”
The Federal Government’s Marine Commissioner, Sebastian Unger, is also taking part in the conference, as are representatives of the state governments of several coastal federal states and members of the German Bundestag from various parties.
The broad spectrum of topics includes: Ocean protection agreements, marine litter, biofouling, old munitions, underwater noise, marine heat waves in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, the Natural Climate Protection Action Program, the environmentally friendly expansion of offshore wind energy and much more will be discussed at the conference.
