We protect what we love, we protect the Black Sea - Greenpeace protest on International Black Sea Day

31 October, Costinești - Greenpeace activists are protesting on the Romanian coast, both in the water and on land, to draw attention to the risks posed by the Neptun Deep project to biodiversity in the Black Sea. They have marked with a yellow X the place where the pipeline from the sea will enter the land and displayed messages such as Protejăm ce iubim, protejăm Marea Neagră (We protect what we love, we protect the Black Sea), OMV & Romgaz, nu distrugeți Marea Neagră and Marea Neagră e în pericol.

The Black Sea is an ecosystem with thousands of species, from dolphins, sea horses and stingray to algae and phytoplankton that play a vital role in regulating the climate and cleaning the air. Amid plastics, overfishing and pollution, this ecosystem is struggling to survive. The gas project will only put more pressure on the fragile life in the sea. The Black Sea will become a construction site for the next few years, with ten wells drilled around the extraction perimeter, 160 kilometres of pipeline to shore and dozens of ships transporting infrastructure materials.

We call on the Romanian Government to stop this harmful project and impose much stricter regulations on the protection of marine habitats in the Black Sea. Without concrete action, we risk losing hundreds of vulnerable species, as happened with the monk seals.

In addition to the considerably negative impact on the climate, the Neptun Deep deep gas project poses a serious threat to biodiversity. OMV Petrom and Romgaz are turning the Black Sea into a construction site. Life in the sea will be affected, no doubt about it. Unfortunately, this year, the government, the Ministry of Environment and the oil and gas companies are 'celebrating' International Black Sea Day with plans for new wells, platforms and pipelines on the seabed. We at Greenpeace, together with the people who love the Black Sea, will celebrate it by protecting what we love. We will use all necessary levers to stop this project that is harmful to life in the Black Sea, says Alin Tănase, Greenpeace Romania Campaigns Coordinator.

We encourage all people who care about the Black Sea and value life in it to join our efforts to stop the Neptune Deep project. To this end, you can sign the petition to support the conservation of biodiversity in the sea:

greenpeace.ro/salvammareaneagra

For the photos please check this folder

For the videos please check this folder

For more info;
Mihnea Matache, PR & Comms, Greenpeace România, +40749135749, mihnea.matache@greenpeace.org