To restore the Black Sea after ecocide, it is necessary to create new protected areas, scientists say

Scientists call for the creation of nature protection zones in the Black Sea, international pressure on the Russian Federation, and demining of the coast after the end of the war.

Restoring the ecosystems of the Black Sea after a full-scale Russian invasion will require not high-profile initiatives, but decisive traditional steps. This was stated by Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor of the Institute of Zoology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Pavlo Goldin, Ukrinform writes.

According to him, the key elements of the strategy should be the creation of new marine nature protection areas, demining of the coast – when this becomes possible – and strengthening the international sanctions policy against the aggressor.

“We don’t need to reinvent the wheel – we need nature protection areas that limit predatory fishing and allow the restoration of marine resources,” Goldin emphasized. He also noted that the Russian Federation is deliberately persecuting scientists who advocate environmental protection.

A striking example of this is the case of 70-year-old Ukrainian scientist Leonid Pshenichnov, who is being illegally detained by the Russians in Crimea. He is accused of “hostile actions,” including a proposal to create protected areas in Antarctic waters to limit the catch of krill and other marine species. According to Goldin, these actions are viewed by the Kremlin as a threat because “Russia seeks to extract resources to their full potential — contrary to international agreements.”

 The day before, USM reported that the Russians had literary destroyed the ecosystem in the Kinburn Spit.