Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced the creation of two new national marine parks, marking a significant step toward protecting its seas.
The government plans to begin the legal procedures for their creation by the end of June.
Speaking at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, Mr. Mitsotakis said one park will be located in the Ionian Sea, and the other among the southern Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea.
"With these new parks, we will significantly increase the area of protected marine waters under our jurisdiction," Mr. Mitsotakis said, adding that Greece will exceed the global target of safeguarding 30% of its waters well before the 2030 deadline.
Greece has already ratified the U.N. treaty on marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdictions, depositing the instrument of ratification earlier on Monday.
Mr. Mitsotakis said that Greece "did its duty" by ratifying the agreement, known as BBNJ, which aims to preserve biodiversity in international waters.
The prime minister also pledged to ban trawling in all marine parks and to deploy modern monitoring and enforcement measures, in collaboration with non-governmental organizations. Greece hosted the ninth International Ocean Conference in April 2024, where it similarly pledged to protect its marine environment.
The latest initiative builds on previous Greek commitments, including the creation of two existing marine parks in the Ionian and Aegean Seas, and aligns with broader European Union conservation goals.
Mr. Mitsotakis emphasized that protecting the health of the oceans "is not the work of a single nation, but of our generation as a whole."