The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), with the support of KRESK 4 OCEANS, released the results of a major European opinion poll on underwater noise pollution.

Conducted by IPSOS across five countries – France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden – the survey paints a clear picture: European citizens are ready to protect the ocean, including taking urgent action to tackle underwater noise, when they are aware that this is one of the biggest threats to marine life.

• The will is there, the awareness is not: 98% of Europeans want to protect marine life – yet public perception is heavily shaped by visible threats: 81% cite plastic pollution as the main danger, while only 14% identify underwater noise and 16% acidification
• Once informed, citizens demand action on underwater noise: 89% call for urgent measures, 84% back ship speed reductions, 78% want binding regulation – not voluntary commitments
• When it comes to noise generated from shipping, a simple measure could reduce ocean noise emissions significantly and could become implemented immediately: mandatory vessel speed reduction reduces noise and greenhouse gas emissions and saves whales from being struck by ships
• OceanCare calls on the European Union and its Member States to match ambition towards regulating vessel speeds and to ban the exploration for new oil and gas sources in the seabed — a process carried out using airguns, which generate among the loudest impulsive noise in the ocean.

While 98% of respondents consider protecting marine life to be important, the survey reveals that public perception is heavily shaped by visible forms of pollution. Plastic pollution is the main threat cited across all age groups and educational backgrounds (81%) – while underwater noise, an invisible but equally destructive pollutant, is identified as threat by only 14% of Europeans. The same applies to ocean acidification (16%), another largely invisible crisis.

OceanCare commends IFAW for commissioning this survey and welcomes its findings as a vital contribution to understanding these awareness gaps — and to closing them.

Once informed, Europeans demand action

When survey respondents were told that ship noise disrupts the communication, navigation and feeding behaviour of marine species, 89% said the problem must be addressed urgently. 84% support reducing ship speeds to protect marine life, and 78% want binding regulations rather than voluntary commitments.

Carlos Bravo Villa, Ocean Policy Specialist for OceanCare, says:

“For once, we know exactly what needs to be done: the science is clear, the solutions are ready, and as this survey shows, the public agrees. What is missing is the political will to act. People can relate to the concept of traffic regulation – it is part of everyone’s daily life. Roads have clear speed limits for cars and trucks. It is logical, rational and overdue to apply the same concept to vessels navigating through the ocean. It would be safer for marine life, less noisy, and an active contribution to reducing CO2 emissions. And yet, mandatory speed restrictions for ships remain the exception, not the rule.”

Invisible threats with severe consequences – and the way to fix it

Underwater noise is not a marginal threat. Sound is vital for marine wildlife and when it comes to noise as devastating. Shipping is the primary source of continuous underwater noise in the ocean, and its effects are wide-ranging: disrupted communication, altering migration routes, causing chronic stress and reduced reproductive success.

The EMTER 2025 report identifies areas in the English Channel, the Strait of Gibraltar, parts of the Adriatic Sea, the Dardanelles Strait and in some regions of the Baltic Sea as areas of high sound pressure level (SPL). The good news is that the EMTER report concludes that the prospective analysis indicates that the joint implementation of technical and operational URN and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation measures can lead to a substantial reduction in URN for all ship types and in all regions by 2050. In some cases, this reduction could reach up to 70% compared to a business-as-usual scenario.

However, underwater noise is not the only danger posed by maritime traffic to marine wildlife: collisions with ships are the leading cause of human-induced mortality among large whales in areas of heavy maritime traffic, including the north-western Mediterranean.

Slowing ships down: a win-win-win situation

Reducing vessel speed creates a win-win-win situation, as it reduces ocean noise and greenhouse gas emissions as well as the risk of colliding with large marine megafauna.

Voluntary measures have consistently failed. Studies from around the world show that shipping companies comply with voluntary speed recommendations only to a very limited extent, while mandatory measures achieve compliance rates of more than 80%. OceanCare’s own maritime traffic analyses in the Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) designated by the IMO in 2023 in the north-western Mediterranean confirm this: speed recommendations are routinely ignored. To be effective, speed reduction measures must be mandatory and must apply to all vessels without exception. This creates a level playing field for all shipping companies.

When it comes to impulsive underwater noise generated by airguns when searching for new oil and gas deposits in the seabed, or by the militaries, its impacts are exacerbated by causing physical harm or even death. With the urgent need to transform the energy sector away from fossil fuels to address the climate crisis, banning oil and gas exploration would eliminate one of the most dangerous noise sources in the ocean.

Is the EU ready for taking a leadership role?

The European Union has to a large extent created the marine policy framework to better protect marine wildlife from ocean noise. The EU’s Habitat Directive grants strict protection to certain marine species from any harm, which implicitly includes underwater noise and vessels strikes.

Moreover, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, which is currently under revision, established the binding requirement by Member States to achieve a Good Environmental Status in EU waters which explicitly includes ocean noise. To define, what such status means, the EU has also developed as the first geopolitical region in the world threshold values that shall not be exceeded by noise levels. Yet, member states have failed to implement the necessary measures until today. And as such, applying mandatory measures are imperative to keep a level playing field for the private sector and activities in line with marine conservation objectives.

Furthermore, in June 2025, the European Union joined – as a bloc – the High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean, working towards an international framework for reducing ocean noise emissions. The planned EU Ocean Act together with the revision of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive are now the defining opportunity to turn that commitment.

Nicolas Entrup, Director of International Relations, says:

“The poll results indicate a clear public expectation that the European Union should take a leadership role in reducing ocean noise internationally. The EU has already made landmark decisions – including joining the High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean. But credibility depends on enforcement. The new Ocean Act is exactly the opportunity to introduce mandatory speed regulation for vessels in EU waters – and to ban exploration activities for new oil and gas deposits in the ocean. Citizens are ready. Now decision-makers must act.”

About OceanCare

OceanCare is an international marine conservation non-governmental organisation, founded in Switzerland in 1989. The organisation pursues the protection and restoration of the marine environment and marine wildlife with a strong policy focus, combining research, conservation projects and education. OceanCare’s remit includes marine pollution, climate change, marine mammal hunting and the environmental consequences of fisheries. Its work is supported by a team of scientific, legal and policy experts, and involves strategic collaboration with civil society organisations and coalitions around the world. OceanCare is an officially accredited partner and observer to several UN conventions and other international fora.