Protecting oceans is one of the most important global challenges and Croatia wants to make additional efforts in combating sea pollution and preserving biodiversity, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said in Brest, France on Friday.

“Protecting oceans, the biggest ecosystem on Earth, is equal to protecting our planet, preserving our biodiversity, our lives,” he said at the One Ocean summit, which he attended at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Plenkovic said protecting oceans and seas was necessary and that, as a maritime country, Croatia wanted to set an example in the fight against ocean and sea pollution.

Oceans absorb one-third of global carbon emissions and play an important role in lowering global temperature, but they are not immune to climate change and human impact, so it’s necessary to protect them.

Croatia has banned plastic bags and single-use plastic products and intends to contribute to the global goal of protecting oceans, Plenkovic said. “By 2030, we will protect 30% of the sea under our jurisdiction.”

Croatia wants to designate more restricted fishing areas so that excessively exploited marine ecosystems can replenish on the model of Jabucka Kotlina, an example of how to replenish the fish stock and preserve biodiversity to the satisfaction of fishermen, scientists and all people.

“That shows that protecting a small area can significantly advance biodiversity and food safety,” Plenkovic said.

After his address, he wrote on Twitter that “protecting oceans is one of the most important global challenges” and that “on the 40th anniversary of the Convention on the Law of the Sea we must invest maximum effort to conclude an agreement on the preservation of biodiversity above national legislative frameworks.”