At the Ηeart of the 9th Our Ocean Conference
The protection of the marine environment is central to the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation’s mission. That is why we participated in this premier international conference dedicated to the oceans. With an active participation in sessions and the organization of two side events, we announced the largest commitments made by a private non-profit organization, totaling 13 million euros. Over the next five years, we will engage in substantial collaborations that will reshape the future of marine areas in Greece and the Mediterranean.
Our Commitments
Our Participations in the 9th Our Ocean Conference
The side event, “Technology for Good: How Innovation and Open Data Can Deliver Ocean Action,” highlighted the pivotal role of technology in ocean protection. It underscored the importance of access to open data for fisheries management. The Greek Government, in collaboration with “Global Fishing Watch,” announced a joint program to monitor marine protected areas using advanced technologies. The Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation will contribute to the program’s implementation and financially support the collaboration.
- Speakers:
- Tony Long, CEO of Global Fishing Watch
- Rocio Parra Cortes, Head of the Legal Division, Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture of Chile
- Jose Julios Casas, Technical Secretary, Corredor Marino del Pacifico Este Tropical (CMAR)
- Dr. Khallahi Brahim, Permanent Secretary, Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission
- Dr. Petros Varelidis, Secretary General, Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy
- Evi Lazou-Laskaridis, Chairman, Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation
GALLERYThe 9th Our Ocean Conference hosted 469 commitments from representatives of 119 countries, organizations, and businesses worldwide. During Plenary Session II: Confronting Plastic Pollution, Evi Lazou-Laskaridis, Chairman of the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation, announced a significant financial commitment of €10 million to combat plastic pollution.
PLAY VIDEOMarine litter harms the environment and the health of ecosystems. The side event, “Marine Pollution: Bridging Science and Policymaking,” emphasized the necessity of understanding our connection to the sea, the severity of the problem, and the importance of partnerships and scientific data collection for preserving planetary health.
- Speakers:
- H.A.H Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
- Evi Lazou-Laskaridis, Chairman, Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation
- Maria Damanaki, Independent Advisor on Climate-Oceans, EU Commissioner for Maritime & Fisheries (2010-2014)
- George Papatheodorou, Professor, Geology Department and Dean of the School of Natural Sciences, University of Patras
- Cyrill Gutsch, CEO/Founder, Parley for the Oceans
- Maxine Burkett, Assistant Director for Climate Ocean and Equity, White House Office of Science & Technology Policy
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GALLERY & VIDEOThe “Fishing For Litter” documentary, a collaboration between Sotiris Danezis and the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation, was featured at the “Our Ocean Film Festival” during the conference. The documentary explores the lives of four veteran fishermen, depicting the significant changes in the Aegean Sea and highlighting the pioneering “Fishing for Litter” initiative.
PLAY VIDEOHighlight
Significant Visits Aboard
Typhoon
A notable event for the Foundation was the visit to the Typhoon by the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis; the EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius; and the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Christos Stylianides. Guided by the Foundation’s Chairman, Evi Lazou-Laskaridis, they toured the ship and were briefed on its capabilities and ongoing research activities.
Key Messages
Technology for Good: How Innovation and Open Data Can Deliver Ocean Action
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Collaborative partnerships, political will and open data can drive tangible impact and help deliver lasting results for a sustainable ocean future for all.
Tony Long, CEO of Global Fishing Watch
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Greece commits to establishing a scientific monitoring and surveillance system for all its marine protected areas. The support of Global Fishing Watch and The Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation will enable us to monitor fishing activity in near real-time.
Dr. Petros Varelidis, Secretary General of the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy
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By fostering strong partnerships among governments, academia, the private sector, and non-profits, we can leverage collective action to enhance data transparency, support research and development, and ultimately uphold our environmental commitments.
Evi Lazou-Laskaridis, Chairman of Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation
Marine Litter: Bridging Science and Policy Making
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Once we were few and the sea seemed vast. Today we are many and the sea is at risk. Even the wars that are occuring at this moment in the Middle East, in Northern Africa, as well as in Ukraine, are endagering the balance of our oceans and waterways...We must constantly remember that whatever we do to the oceans, we are doing it to ourselves and ultimately, we are doing it to God.
H.A.H Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
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The health of our oceans is linked to the health of our planet and all life upon it. Yet, marine litter threatens to undermine this delicate balance. Insufficiently managed and persistently increasing, marine litter poses grave threats to ecosystems, human health, and the global economy. The problem of the marine pollution is multi-faceted and global and as such it calls for systematic effort, a collaborative mandate. An ecumenical approach also.
Evi Lazou-Laskaridis, Chairman of Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation
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We are going to create a national plan, and by that I mean an alliance. Not only govermental organizations and public authorities, but also, we create an alliance with great private initiatives, like Athanasios C.Laskaridis Charitable Foundation, and the civil society, the NGO's and the local communities.
Maria Damanaki,Independent Advisor on Climate-Oceans, EU Commissioner for Maritime Fisheries (2010-2014), Independent Advisor
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There is a total lack of good quality of monitoring data, a total lack of certain methods measuring the problem and the level of the pollution. This is a great problem. With one exception: We have the "Typhoon Project". The "Typhoon Project" is the best example of long term and large scaled monitoring project in the Mediterranean Sea, and probably worldwide.
George Papatheodorou, Professor, Geology Department and Dean of the School of Natural Sciences, University of Patras
Marine Litter: Bridging Science and Policy Making
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With our human made technology, with this truly honesty with that arrogance, that ignorance, we are destroying the life support system that allows us to live here. And plastic is a symbol of that. Plastic is a toxic substance that needs to go.
Cyrill Gutsch, CEO / Founder, Parley for the Oceans
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What inspired my work for years is the phrase "slow as smooth, smooth as fast". In other words, engagement seems slow and arduous and again there are number of people and places to make those connections and ensure public outreaching coordination. But once you have that trust, ultimately success comes quickly.
Maxine Burkett, Assistant Director for Climate, Ocean, and Equity at the White House Office
Plenary Session II: Confronting Plastic Pollution
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All our programs paint a dark picture regarding marine pollution in Greece, similar with that in other areas of the globe. The marine environment is deteriorating fast. Thus, we will keep doing our part and, also, join forces with other stakeholders. What we need now is to go beyond observations. We need concrete solutions and large-scale collaborations.
Evi Lazou-Laskaridis, Chairman of Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation