Greenpeace’s icebreaker “Arctic Sunrise” and sailboat “Witness” will visit Spain in June

The emblematic icebreaker ” Arctic Sunrise ” and the sailboat ” Witness “, two Greenpeace vessels , will come to Spain this June to participate in activities in defense of the oceans .

The ” Arctic Sunrise ” will visit the Basque Country, Galicia and Mallorca, while the ” Witness ” will make its first expedition to Spain to document the state of marine protection in the Mediterranean and the effects caused by human action, such as pollution or escalation in the rise in sea temperatures, as reported by Greenpeace.

The “Arctic Sunrise” will make a tour with three port stops. The first will be in Bilbao on June 7, 8 and 9, when there will be visits to the ship and workshops for all audiences related to the oceans. Additionally, Greenpeace will celebrate World Oceans Day with a benefit concert on the evening of June 8.

Subsequently, it will go to Vilagarcía de Arousa (Galicia), where the ship’s open doors will continue, workshops for all audiences related to the oceans and a participatory workshop to work with the artisanal fishing sector and the Ría de Arousa .

The tour will end its journey in Palma , where, in addition to visits to the ship, there will be conferences with the scientific community to highlight the importance of marine reserves in Spanish waters.

Furthermore, the arrival of the “Arctic Sunrise” will allow Greenpeace to ask the Government to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty . A total of 60 countries must do so before June 2025 so that it can come into force and the first ocean sanctuaries can be declared that will protect at least 30% of international waters in 2030.

ARTISANAL FISHING

On the other hand, “Witness” will document the Mediterranean seabed and its state of conservation, and thus highlight the importance of Spanish seas having effective protection that allows their conservation.

Spain is the EU leader in fish catches , accounting for one fifth in 2022. 78.1% of the Spanish fleet belongs to small fishing gear, but only 10% of the fish consumed in Spain comes from artisanal fishing. , a sector in decline.

For this reason, Greenpeace will be in Bilbao and Galicia with the artisanal fishing sector to denounce the threats that this sector faces, such as the impacts of industrial fishing , pollution and the climate and biodiversity crisis , as well as the social situation. of the sector.