"To ensure the protection and restoration of the marine environment, with specific focus on coasts."

Ocean Coastal Area In Europe's seas marine wildlife is threatened and many commercial fish stocks are being overexploited. For example, even once common fish stocks like North Sea cod, haddock and herring are on the verge of collapse.

WWF promotes "no-take zones" for sustainable management of fisheries and the protection of marine wildlife by setting up networks of marine protected areas. It seeks to restore coastal areas, reduce pollution and integrate management in coastal areas.

In partnership with international organizations such as *HELCOM, WWF's Baltic Programme has achieved coastal zone conservation and helped to promote the targets of the Helsinki Commission. In the Mediterranean, WWF provides input to the Barcelona Convention and works with the United Nations Environment Programme Mediterranean Action Plan to expand and improve the system of marine protected areas and to enforce sustainable fisheries management.

WWF's North East Atlantic Programme addresses a broad range of marine issues pertinent to the NE Atlantic and the North Sea including land- and marine- based pollution, over-exploitation of fish stocks and protection of marine wildlife and habitats. In the Arctic, WWF is working closely with the Arctic Council to develop a regional Programme of Action to tackle land-based activities which degrade the Arctic environment, and has influenced the drafting of guidelines for offshore oil and gas developments.

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