$60.8 Million Pledge to Shield Mediterranean's Rich Marine Life

Vital Protection: Securing the future of the Mediterranean's diverse marine life.

In a significant move for marine conservation, a coalition of environmental funders has committed $60.8 million to safeguard the Mediterranean Sea. This initiative, announced at the Our Ocean Conference in Athens, aims to protect 30% of the region's marine ecosystems by 2030.

Key Details of the Pledge

The Med Donors' Roundtable, spearheaded by Monaco's Fondation Prince Albert II (FPA2), will direct the funds over five years. This pledge includes contributions from prominent organisations like the Global Environment Facility, which donated $13.8 million. Other significant contributors include the Segré, Thalassa, and Tiffany & Co. foundations and several other philanthropic and conservation entities, such as the Bloomberg Ocean Initiative and the Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy Project.

Current Status and Goals

Despite being a hotspot for marine biodiversity, only 8.33% of the Mediterranean Sea is under some form of protection, with just 0.23% being fully or highly protected. The new funding aims to drastically improve these figures, ensuring a well-managed network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that covers a significant portion of the sea.

Only 8.33% of the Mediterranean is protected; this funding seeks to triple that, safeguarding one of the world's richest marine habitats.

Challenges and Urgency

Climate change, pollution, and overfishing severely threaten the Mediterranean's unique ecosystems, making this initiative more crucial than ever. Prince Albert II of Monaco emphasised the urgency, noting the global commitment to the 30x30 target—protecting 30% of the Earth's oceans by 2030—and calling for immediate action to meet these ambitious goals.

Funding Requirements

An estimated $277 million is required to establish the necessary MPAs. With the current pledge covering approximately 22% of this amount, there is a clear need for additional funding and support from private and public sectors to reach these conservation goals.

This pledge marks a pivotal step towards significant ecological protection for one of the world's most important marine regions.