The president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced that Brazil is going to increase from 26% to 30% the coverage of protected maritime areas. The statement was made less than two weeks after the approval of the “Law of the Sea” at the National Congress and amidst debates concerning the possibility of exploration of oil in the mouth of the Amazon River.
Lula gave a speech during the opening of the third UN Ocean Conference, in Nice, France. If the commitment announced by the president is fulfilled, Brazil will be aligned to the goal established by the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). In the event, he also stated that the country will approve the “High Seas Treaty” yet this year.
Officially called “Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)”, the document ensures the transparent and shared administration of biodiversity beyond national frontiers. Brazil has signed the agreement in September 2023 with 115 other countries, but the effective implementation depends on the approval of at least 60 nations.
“We cannot let this happen with the ocean as it happened with international business, whose rules were deteriorated to a point that let the World Trade Organization (WTO) out of order. Avoiding the oceans from being a stage of geopolitical dispute is an urgent task to build peace. Riverways, gulfs and straits have to bring us closer, and not be a motive of conflict”, said Lula.
According to the Brazilian president, the agenda of protection and sustainable usage of the oceans is going to be the focus of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference, which will happen in November and will take place in Pará. The subject will also be a matter of discussion of the Brazil-Caribbean Summit, scheduled for June 13th.
“In the last ten years, the world has produced more plastic than in the entire previous century. Plastic waste represents 80% of all marine pollution. Saving this biome requires renewed commitment to implementing the Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) and the Paris Agreement.” Lula also announced the aim to create a national strategy to combat plastic pollution in the ocean.
Among the responsibilities highlighted by the president , there are also programs to preserve mangroves and coral reefs, marine spatial planning, actions for sustainable fishing, and policies focused on education. Lula remembered that Brazil was the first country to include ocean literacy in school curriculum.
“We are going to strengthen the scientific data gathering through an Integrated Monitoring System and continue to invest in research throughout the Comandante Ferraz Station in Antarctica. In 2025, we will have the largest number of Blue Schools in the world, aggregating 515 educational institutions, 160,000 students, and 2,600 teachers.”
