UN Ocean conference gives ‘glimmer of hope’ for marine life

The UN Oceans Conference has been celebrated as a significant achievement, with an increasing number of countries endorsing a crucial treaty aimed at safeguarding marine life, as well as enhancing efforts to reduce plastic waste and illegal fishing across our oceans.

Close to 200 nations convened in Nice, France, to address the most urgent challenges confronting the seas.

The oceans are currently under threat from various issues, including plastic debris and climate change.

Sir David Attenborough expressed his dismay about the detrimental effects of specific fishing techniques and hoped that the leaders in attendance would “recognize the vital importance of oceans to our well-being.”

A primary goal was to secure ratification of the High Seas Treaty by 60 nations, which would bring it into effect. This agreement, signed two years prior, aims to designate 30% of the ocean as protected zones. By Friday, 50 nations had ratified, with many more promising to do so by the year’s end.

The advancements made on plastic waste and illegal fishing have reignited hope in the capacity of governments to collaborate effectively.

“The UNOC has inspired hope that the difficulties facing our oceans are acknowledged and will be addressed,” remarked Tony Long, CEO of Global Fishing Watch.

“As we approach the implementation of the High Seas Treaty, governments must intensify efforts, leveraging transparency and innovative technologies to protect the ocean,” he added.

Before the conference, confidence in multilateral approaches to resolving global issues was markedly low.

In 2024, critical discussions on biodiversity, plastic waste, and climate action either collapsed or yielded minimal advancements.

The conference aimed not to establish a new binding agreement but rather to advance prior treaties.

Three years ago, nations committed to safeguarding 30% of terrestrial and marine areas by 2030 to support biodiversity.

Achieving this goal in international waters, where no single nation holds authority, poses significant challenges. Thus, in 2023, countries ratified the High Seas Treaty, agreeing to designate 30% of these waters as marine protected areas.

Prior to the conference, only 27 of the 60 nations required to enact the treaty had ratified it. Over the course of the conference, this number surged to 50, with additional countries pledging to ratify by year-end. The UK announced it would initiate the process before 2026.

This rapid progress is unprecedented for a UN agreement, as explained by Elizabeth Wilson, senior environmental policy director at The Pews Trust.

“Our experience with various treaties shows that ratification commonly takes five to seven years.

“Therefore, the imminent enforcement of the High Seas Treaty demonstrates significant global momentum towards enhancing protections for the high seas,” she noted.

While major powers such as the US and China have yet to ratify the treaty, they are recognized as signatories, indicating a future commitment.

Conversely, Russia maintains its opposition due to concerns regarding its impact on fisheries.

Nevertheless, US diplomats well-versed in UN negotiations commended the advancements.

“From progresses achieved on the High Seas Treaty to French Polynesia’s marine protected area, UNOC exemplified that genuine progress is attainable through collaboration,” stated John Kerry, former US Secretary of State and Climate Envoy.

More nations pledged to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) in their national waters and to limit the most harmful fishing practices.

During the week, the UK announced plans to ban bottom trawling in nearly a third of its English MPAs.

This demand has long been voiced by environmental organizations and more recently by Sir David Attenborough, who argue that without such prohibitions, protections remain superficial.

French Polynesia also revealed the largest marine protected area to date in its waters, comprising 900,000 sq km, where extractive fishing and mining will be prohibited—an area four times the size of the UK.

With these pledges and others made at the conference, 10% of the world’s oceans are now under protection.

“This sends a clear message globally that multilateral efforts are crucial,” remarked Astrid Puentes during the final day of the conference on R4’s Today programme.

“We need this leadership. The ocean is a singular biome on the planet, interconnected; thus, we must enhance international legal frameworks,” she continued.

However, achieving progress on curtailing destructive fishing practices globally has proven challenging without China’s involvement, given that it operates the world’s largest fishing fleet.

Yet at the conference, the Chinese government announced its ratification of the Port State Measures Agreement—a legal commitment aimed at eradicating illegal and unregulated fishing.

Despite French President Macron’s opening remarks on the risks associated with deep-sea mining, nations remained divided on the subject.

Recently, 2,000 scientists urged governments to halt all deep-sea exploration pending further research; currently, only 0.001% of the ocean floor has been mapped.

In spite of this, just 37 countries supported a moratorium on deep-sea mining.

“More nations need to advocate for a moratorium on seabed mining to ensure regulatory frameworks are established before any mining activities commence,” asserted Pradeep Singh, an environmental lawyer and marine expert from the Oceano Azul Foundation.

President Trump abandoned a global strategy in April, initiating permits for the activity in the US.

Nevertheless, Mr. Singh believes that most nations, regardless of their stance on a ban, do not agree with the US approach.

During the conference’s final meeting, countries adopted the Nice Ocean Action Plan, summarizing their commitments.

Plastic pollution presents a significant challenge for the oceans, yet discussions in December regarding reductions in production stalled.

The ocean is home to nearly 200 trillion pieces of plastic, a number projected to triple by 2040 if no preventive measures are implemented.

Both the physical presence of plastic and the harmful chemicals associated with it pose serious threats to marine life, stated Bethany Carney Almroth, Professor of Ecotoxicology at the University of Gothenburg.

“There are over 16,000 chemicals found in plastics, with more than 4,000 known to be hazardous, potentially causing cancer, genetic mutations, or reproductive toxicity,” she added.

At the conference, ministers from 97 nations, including the UK, signed a joint political statement expressing their desire to establish a comprehensive treaty addressing the issue.

However, only one of the world’s top ten oil-producing countries, Canada, participated. These nations have expressed concerns that commitments to reduce plastic production could adversely affect their revenues.

Moreover, diminishing oil production is vital for mitigating climate-warming emissions and minimizing the severe consequences of climate change.

The oceans are pivotal in this context, absorbing 90% of the additional heat generated by human activity, resulting in increasingly damaging marine heatwaves.

Although this conference did not yield new commitments for emission reductions, poorer nations urged their wealthier counterparts to expedite previously promised financing for climate initiatives.

“I share the frustration of many small island developing nations regarding the unresponsiveness of international financial institutions,” said Feleti Teo, prime minister of Tuvalu.

“We lack the influence to alter their policies, but we must keep the pressure on; gatherings like this provide us the platform to share our narrative.”