Biarritz (AFP)
Surfers, for whom the Bay of Biarritz is one of the world's major events, decided to take advantage of the G7 held this weekend to alert the public about the pollution of the ocean, the initiative from the NGO Surfrider Foundation.
The ocean is "one of the most important regulators of the climate", explains François Verdet, a member of this NGO that fights for the protection of the oceans.
"Three out of four people in the world live near the water, it's a huge thing, it's everywhere and it's never taken into account in the negotiations. ocean in the center of the game, "he told AFP.
On Thursday, in Biarritz, the leaders of Surfrider Foundation, an NGO "created in Biarritz a few years ago by angry surfers", met the Minister of Ecological Transition Elisabeth Borne.
"This summit will be concrete commitments on environmental issues, a number of commitments will be made by the states present, particularly on biodiversity, and there will be commitments on carbon neutrality, on green finance, as will commitments from economic sectors such as shipping or cruise lines, which must take more into account these issues, "promised the minister, before the press after the meeting.
In the evening, on the nearby beach of Guéthary, more than 350 surfers jumped into the water for a rally called "Rame for your planet".
They formed a symbolic chain off. On the small beach were signs planted in the sand with slogans such as "The planet wakes up, we wake up with it", and messages written on surfboards, like "ocean". spirit, challenge society ".
"We started this series of appointments at the time of the arrival of cyclists Tour Alternatiba (a tour of France alternatives, at the initiative of environmental associations, Ed), last October in Bayonne. organized a symbolic relay passage between cyclists and surfers in Biarritz, between people from the land and people from the sea. Then, we said to ourselves: why not row until the G7? "says the surfer.
"A G7 is one of the perfect moments, we took the opportunity to play at home," says Antidia Citores, spokesman for the NGO, which recalls that "an ocean threatened, they are widening inequalities ".
Until Friday evening, the association holds an Ocean Pavilion in its local biarrots, and deliver at the end an "Ocean Call", a call addressed to the leaders, signed by fifty associations dedicated to the ocean.
"The idea is not necessarily to have a shattering statement coming out of the G7, but that the subject is present during all the negotiations that will follow at the COP25 in Chile, or at the UN conference dedicated to the ocean, in Lisbon, next year, we want measures to be taken on overfishing, on marine protected areas, on the question of plastics, on mining drilling. concrete measures adopted, "said the spokesperson.
© 2019 AFP