Voices from across the Mediterranean bring firsthand experiences of climate change and evidence that protecting the sea can make a difference.

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Antalya, Türkiye, 10 November 2026 – As Mediterranean waters warm, small-scale fishers are having to venture into deeper waters in search of fish. But there is evidence that effective marine protection can help ecosystems and coastal communities become more resilient to climate change. Bringing these experiences to COP31 today, the Med Sea Alliance called on world leaders to make ocean protection a climate priority.

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The sea surface temperature of the Mediterranean is warming two to three times faster than the global ocean, with marine heatwaves threatening critical habitats such as seagrass meadows and coral ecosystems. Marine protected areas can help ecosystems cope with these impacts, but despite governments' commitment to protect 30% of the sea by 2030, less than 10% is currently designated as protected, and less than 1% is strictly protected.

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Speaking at a press conference in Antalya, representatives of the Med Sea Alliance, a coalition of 23 organisations from across the Mediterranean, stressed that while cutting greenhouse gas emissions remains essential, protecting marine ecosystems from additional pressures such as destructive fishing can strengthen the resilience of both marine ecosystems and the coastal communities that depend on them.

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For Benoît Guerin, a small-scale fisher working in the waters near Port-Cros National Park on France's Mediterranean coast, climate impacts are already affecting daily life at sea:

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“Since 2022, I've noticed sea temperatures rising to alarming levels. There are fewer fish in shallower waters during the summer, and we're being forced to fish deeper and deeper. I'm particularly concerned about the future of Mediterranean seagrass meadows. For us fishers, these are key coastal habitats where marine life begins. The situation is quite frightening.”

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In Türkiye's Gökova Bay, fully protected areas established following the collapse of local fisheries in 2008 show how marine protection can support recovery and resilience. 

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“In just three years, many things started changing. Biodiversity has flourished, and the income of small-scale fishers in the community has tripled since then. Fully protected areas with proper enforcement are definitely an answer to deteriorating marine resources and increasing resilience against climate change,” said Zafer Kızılkaya, President of the Mediterranean Conservation Foundation, Türkiye.

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Coastal communities in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean face additional challenges from invasive species and limited conservation resources, making regional cooperation essential.

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“Today, we separate the North from the South, the EU from the rest of the Mediterranean. But travelling from one side of the Mediterranean to the other can be shorter than going from Paris to London. We are one sea, we share a common history, and we should act together,” said Alexander Kebbon, Marine Program Coordinator at IndyACT, Lebanon.

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Türkiye has recently taken steps towards stronger marine protection, including the designation of two new marine national parks and a proposal to tighten restrictions on deep-sea bottom trawling. With COP31 taking place on its Mediterranean coast, the country now has an opportunity to build on this momentum and champion stronger ocean protection internationally.

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“This year the climate summit is on the shores of the Mediterranean, hosted by a Mediterranean country, and Türkiye has put the ocean on its agenda. Now this COP has to deliver,” said Karlijn Steinbusch, Director of the Med Sea Alliance.

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The Med Sea Alliance is calling for:

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• To the COP31 Presidency: Deliver an ambitious outcome for the ocean, with concrete commitments and finance to protect and restore marine ecosystems so coastal communities can withstand a warming sea.
• To Mediterranean governments: Deliver on the commitment to protect 30% of the sea by 2030, integrate ocean protection into national climate plans, and join the Blue NDC Challenge. So far, France is the only Mediterranean country to have joined.

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About the Med Sea Alliance: Med Sea Alliance is a coalition of 23 organisations working to strengthen marine protection and tackle destructive and illegal fishing across the Mediterranean.

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MEDIA RESOURCES

Med Sea Alliance representatives, small-scale fishers, marine conservationists and policy experts from across the Mediterranean's European, North African and Eastern shores are available for interviews during COP31.

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Resources for journalists: 

• Spokespeople database – Expert profiles and additional quotes.
• Video testimonials and photos – Firsthand accounts from Mediterranean small-scale fishers on the impacts of climate change.
• Press conference

For interviews, additional information or media enquiries, please contact:

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Ioana Matei, Communications Lead

hello@ioanamatei.info | +40763625878

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