The Clean and Healthy Ocean Integrated Program was launched in Rome on 10 November. FAO says it involves 13 countries and addresses excess nutrients reaching coastal waters from farming, wastewater and industry. Support from the Global Environment Facility and partners is for a programme of action; its launch does not certify that pollution has already fallen. [1]

Examples include improving fertiliser management in Viet Nam’s Red River Delta and planned trials in Peru’s Paracas Bay combining seaweed with scallop farming. Seaweed can use nutrients in the water, and the programme intends to test such approaches in local settings. Implementation, effectiveness and actual benefits still need to be measured. [1]