Louise Sallé with Gauthier Delomez 2:02 p.m., February 09, 2022

The international One Ocean Summit opened on Wednesday in Brest and brings together representatives of countries, researchers and NGOs to find solutions on the protection of the oceans.

Invited from Europe Midi on Wednesday, MEP Catherine Chabaud expects "concrete things" and says she is ready to negotiate with the participants.

INTERVIEW

"The ocean is at the heart of our society's challenges because it provides half of the oxygen we breathe", recalls Catherine Chabaud, MEP and former navigator, in the

Europe Midi program

.

Invited on Wednesday, the parliamentarian from the MoDem affirms that she expects "concrete things" from the international summit One Ocean Summit, devoted to the protection of the oceans and which opened on Wednesday in Brest in Finistère.

"I am waiting (for decisions), in particular thanks to the presence of the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen", she underlines optimistically, at the microphone of Emilie Dez.

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“Being able to see each other and negotiate is great”

Among the topics covered are the fight against plastic pollution and illegal fishing, the strengthening of the protection of sensitive areas, the exploitation of maritime resources and zero carbon emission ships.

"There are many subjects that I want to cover, such as making the EU the champion of green ships with the aim of decarbonization, integrating marine and coastal ecosystems in legislation related to biodiversity and climate", lists the MEP European, present at the One Ocean Summit.

"The fact of finally seeing each other, and being able to negotiate, is great," she adds, delighted to see the media also discuss the subject.

The summit aims to advance negotiations, to bring countries together ahead of the signing of important treaties that will take place during the year, such as the one on plastic pollution, at the end of February, in Kenya.

Companies, NGOs and researchers also attend the summit to inform the debates.

Because there are a lot of emergencies on the table.

"They are in the knowledge, because we do not know the oceans well", underlines Catherine Chabaud.

"They are in preservation: it is absolutely necessary to turn off the tap of plastics which come for 80% of the earth."

Decision-making, "one of the big issues (at the summit)"

For the former navigator, there is also an urgent need to make it clear "that our activities on land, on the coast and at sea must be approached from a much more sustainable point of view", and also "to improve global governance , European and national sea."

The MP from the MoDem salutes the action of Emmanuel Macron "who understood the importance of the issues", and who contributes to the political support of these subjects.

All this makes it possible to arrive at decision-making "which is one of the very big issues (at the summit)", assures Catherine Chabaud.