The EMB presents Policy Brief on the ocean and human health

Human health and the ocean are strongly intertwined. Humans rely on the ocean and its ecosystem services such as food supply and energy production, but their health can also be endangered by aspects such as storms and pollution. The health of the ocean can, in turn, be significantly impacted by human activities, and a balance must therefore be sought to ensure the health of both. However, there is currently no policy at national or European level that explicitly addresses the link between the ocean and human health (Oceans and Human Health, OHH).

The latest Policy Brief from the European Marine Board - Policy needs for Oceans and Human Health gives an overview of the policy challenges facing the joint approach to ocean and human health and of the cooperation and research needed to address these challenges. It proposes, inter alia, how the existing regulatory framework could be adapted to include OHH. Recommendations are also made on data and indicator collection, monitoring, funding and training.

To this end, the Policy Brief draws on the recommendations made in the course of the SOPHIE project, in particular those presented in two project outcomes: the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) for the Ocean and Human Health in Europe and the policy report, which examines how regulatory strategies and instruments related to the EU's Integrated Maritime Policy relate to the ocean and human health.
 

You can download the document with accompanying visualisations from the EMB website.