Purina Europe joins Norwegian Marine Restoration Initiative as a founding member

EUROPE – Nestlé Purina PetCare Europe has become a founding member of the Norwegian Marine Restoration Initiative (NoMaRe), marking a significant step in the company’s commitment to marine biodiversity conservation. 

The newly established NoMaRe platform is dedicated to advancing large-scale marine restoration efforts along Norway’s coastline, focusing on restoring vital kelp forests.

Kelp forests, crucial for marine biodiversity and carbon sequestration, have suffered a significant decline globally. About 60% have disappeared due to human activities and the overgrazing of sea urchins. 

The proliferation of these urchins, exacerbated by the decline of their natural predators, has further endangered these underwater ecosystems. 

In response, NoMaRe aims to address these challenges by prioritising marine restoration in national policies, securing funding from both public and private sectors, and executing practical restoration efforts.

The initiative will kick off by removing excess sea urchins across 5,000 square kilometres in Northern Norway. Beyond this, NoMaRe will enhance research, knowledge sharing, and support for marine restoration projects. 

The collaboration brings together several key players, including The Bellona Foundation, Urchinomics, Tarevoktere, and IFF, all of which are focused on restoring marine ecosystems.

Kerstin Schmeiduch, Director of Sustainability & Corporate Communications at Purina Europe, expressed the company’s commitment to the initiative, stating, “Collaborative efforts are required to address the dramatic decline in marine biodiversity across Europe. At Purina, we recently launched our Ocean Restoration Programme to help tackle this challenge by restoring marine habitats across Europe because fish by-products are part of our extended supply chain. 

We are now delighted to be joining the NoMaRe platform as a founding partner, which we hope will benefit the marine restoration work being done through our Programme in Norway due to the shared interests and ambitions of the platform.”

Purina Europe’s involvement in NoMaRe aligns with its broader efforts to combat marine biodiversity loss. The company’s Ocean Restoration Programme partners with expert organisations and focuses on restoring seagrass, oyster reefs, and kelp across Europe. 

By joining NoMaRe, Purina aims to leverage its expertise and resources to support the large-scale restoration of kelp forests in Norway.

Joakim Hauge, Global Head of Science and Strategy at Bellona, highlighted the initiative’s significance: “The loss of the kelp forest is Norway’s forgotten environmental crisis. Through our involvement in NoMaRe, Bellona aims to use our extensive experience in ecological restoration to facilitate a large-scale restoration of the Norwegian kelp forest.” 

He added that the partners in NoMaRe are already well underway with practical restoration trials and knowledge gathering, and accelerating research, knowledge dissemination, and advocacy will be necessary. 

“We need to establish a national initiative to restore the Norwegian kelp forest as soon as possible. Such an initiative could provide Norway with substantial climate and environmental benefits. We are very pleased to welcome Nestle Petcare Purina Europe as a founding partner of NoMaRe, and we acknowledge their commitment to marine restoration through their Ocean Restoration Programme.”

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