“Many people know the North Sea only as a big brown bowl of soup,” said filmmaker Peter van Rodijnen, referring to its colour. The purpose of his documentary De Wilde Noordzee (North Sea, Nature Untamed), he explained, is to “create some love” and to inspire appreciation for, and ultimately protection of, the remarkable life beneath the surface.
Van Rodijnen was speaking at a Ciné-ONU screening of the film at Cinéma Vendôme in Brussels, organised by the United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) in partnership with the Flanders Chancellery and Foreign Office.
The event took place in the lead-up to United Nations Day (24 October) and the upcoming 2026 UN Water Conference (8-10 December). Reflecting on the seven years he spent filming, van Rodijnen noted that the North Sea is constantly changing, pointing to shifts in species distribution as an example.
The screening was followed by a panel discussion on ocean protection, marine research and international cooperation. Alongside van Rodijnen, the panel included Vera Coelho, Executive Director and Vice President of Oceana in Europe; Jan Mees, General Director of the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ); and Nicolas Galudec, Senior Policy Advisor at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Brussels Office. The discussion was moderated by Marian Blondeel of UNRIC.
Sustainable fisheries
Oceana’s Coelho said progress on sustainable fisheries remains possible if three conditions are met: fishing must remain within the limits of the ecosystem; vulnerable species and habitats must be protected in practice, not only on paper; and transparency, traceability and accountability must underpin decision-making and fisheries management.
Marine research
VLIZ General Director Mees described a “double technological revolution” in marine science, one driven by robotics and the other by sensor systems. These tools allow researchers to collect “near real-time results about marine ecosystems”, which can help scientific knowledge reach decision-makers more quickly and support evidence-based policy.
A fragile balance
UNEP’s Galudec described marine ecosystems as a delicate balance in which species, habitats and human activities are closely interconnected. “Protecting that balance is essential for both nature and people,” he said.
The Senior Policy Advisor also detailed recent efforts to strengthen ocean governance through international cooperation, including the ongoing UN Biodiversity Conference (COP17) and the High Seas Treaty, which aims to protect and preserve the oceans ecosystems from our coastlines to the deeper oceans.
One ocean
The importance of collective action was reinforced by Jan Mees, who spoke about the concept of “one ocean”. Just as ecosystems are interconnected across the globe, he argued, protecting them requires strong international cooperation. The interconnected nature of the ocean makes multilateral action indispensable, from scientific networks to the development and implementation of international agreements.
Participants agreed that protecting the ocean requires a combination of science, effective policy, public engagement and international cooperation, a point that echoed van Rodijnen’s vision of creating appreciation for the North Sea.
“Stay curious and stay engaged,” Oceana’s Vera Coelho told the audience.