German maritime policy

A sustainable maritime policy is the lever with which important decisions can and must be made for a viable framework for the sea for the benefit of people and future generations.

We try to organize our political activities through joint dialogue and transparency. Only through dialog will it be possible to persuade the necessary majorities to take sustainable political action. The most important thing, however, is that all those who make decisions about the ocean and want to work with and in it understand this habitat as well as possible, because the interdisciplinary relationships between us and the ocean are complex and there are constant updates from the scientific community that we must take seriously and incorporate into our deliberations. The aim must be to use the latest findings coupled with the technologies currently available in order to make humans a sustainable and reliable part of the system in terms of natural cycles. 

The fact that over 16 ministries and authorities deal with the sea in Germany shows the complexity and multi-faceted nature of the issue. In view of the different party and lobby interests, it is therefore almost impossible to establish a uniform, goal-oriented, sensible and, above all, sustainable marine policy that transcends party boundaries. 

Our major survey on ocean awareness in Germany also shows that neither experts, civil society nor politicians have sufficient knowledge of the ocean. In addition, there is a confusion of responsibilities for the sea, which overlap in some areas but are not regulated at all in others - for example, there is no responsibility for the waste that floats into the sea via our rivers.

The well-being of our society, the competitiveness of our economies and the health of our oceans and waters are closely linked. It is therefore our concern and our vision to work towards a sustainable ocean policy, in line with the motto of Elisabeth Mann Borghese, who described the ocean as the "common heritage of mankind". With this in mind, we must align future political strategies for the ocean both nationally and internationally. The protection and conservation of the ocean as our largest ecosystem connecting all continents must be at the forefront, in Germany, Europe and throughout the world. 

For a life-supporting ocean of the future, we need sustainable forms of economy, because everything on our planet is a cycle, from the smallest organelle in a cell to organisms and the entire planet. Only if we learn from these natural cycles and align our lives accordingly can we maintain health and prosperity. To achieve this, it is also important to steer global financial flows in a direction that is beneficial to life. Investors must learn to understand how natural cycles work and sustain our lives and which investments are sustainable for our planet and therefore also for our oceans. Happiness, health and a perspective for the future are the returns on sustainable political and economic action.