The third U.N. Ocean Conference opened on Monday in France, amid increasing pressure for nations to transform long-standing promises into tangible protections for the sea. This summit highlights the growing concern over the lack of progress toward meeting targets set under Agenda 2030, particularly in conserving biodiversity.
Current State of Ocean Protection
- Only 2.7% of the ocean is effectively protected from destructive extractive activities, according to the nonprofit Marine Conservation Institute.
- This falls significantly short of the ambitious goal known as "thirty by thirty," which aims to protect at least 30% of both land and sea worldwide within the next ten years.
Mauro Randone, regional projects manager at WWF (World Wildlife Fund), stated, "It’s the Wild West out there with countries just fishing anywhere without any sort of regulation, and that needs to change." The ocean is vital for stabilizing Earth’s climate and sustaining life, generating 50% of the oxygen we breathe, absorbing around 30% of carbon dioxide emissions, and capturing more than 90% of excess heat caused by those emissions.
Importance of a Healthy Ocean
Experts warn that without a healthy ocean, climate goals will remain unattainable. Advocates hope the U.N. Ocean Conference (UNOC) can generate enough momentum for treaty adoption. IUCN Director Minna Epps emphasized that two-thirds of our planet cannot protect 30% of oceans without including the high seas.
Key Focus Areas of the Conference
A primary focus of this week’s conference is the ratification of the High Seas Treaty, adopted in 2023. This treaty would allow countries to establish marine protected areas in international waters, which cover nearly 66% of the planet, without needing permission from other states or international organizations.
France’s Commitment
France has already exceeded its commitment to protect at least 15% of its territorial waters by 2025. However, environmental groups report that only 3% of these waters are fully shielded from harmful practices like bottom trawling and industrial fishing.
Challenges Ahead
The conference presents another opportunity for governments to enhance their ambitions on various issues, including:
- Plastic pollution
- Deep-sea mining
Nations are still struggling to balance economic development with environmental protection while working toward their commitments under Agenda 2030. The U.N.’s Decade on Ecosystem Restoration concludes this year, yet many countries have yet to develop plans for restoring degraded ecosystems, such as mangroves that help mitigate storm surges. Others have not implemented policies to reduce plastic pollution in rivers and oceans.
Upcoming Review Session
The world will closely monitor the upcoming major review session in New York City next month, where nations will report on their progress since last year’s summit. Last year was marked by record-high levels of fishing subsidies and rising greenhouse gas emissions from shipping—sectors not covered under existing treaties.
Goals of the Conference
The conference aims to:
- Advance efforts to eliminate overfishing using new technologies, such as underwater sensors for real-time fish population detection.
- Promote sustainable tourism practices, including eco-lodges built over coral reefs and whale-watching tours run by local communities.
- Gather data on human impacts on the world’s oceans through a global assessment of marine biodiversity to inform policy decisions.
Urgent Need for Action
Despite these efforts, some critics argue that the current pace of action is too slow given the scale of threats facing the oceans. Dr. Robert Blasiak, a researcher at Stockholm University specializing in marine conservation, warned, "We’re seeing an unprecedented level of extinction risk across all species, including fish, mammals, birds, and corals. If we don’t see significant action soon, it will be too late."
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