{"id":368387,"date":"2025-08-23T23:31:37","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T23:31:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/368387\/"},"modified":"2025-08-23T23:31:37","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T23:31:37","slug":"the-un-ocean-conference-tries-to-turn-promises-into-protection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/368387\/","title":{"rendered":"The UN Ocean Conference tries to turn promises into protection"},"content":{"rendered":"

NICE, France (AP) \u2014 The third U.N. Ocean Conference opened Monday<\/a> as pressure mounts for nations to turn decades of promises into real protection for the sea.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fight for the ocean is at the heart of the yearslong battles we\u2019ve been waging \u2014 for biodiversity, for climate, for our environment and for our health,\u201d said French President Emmanuel Macron, delivering the keynote address.<\/p>\n

Just 2.7% of the ocean is effectively protected<\/a> from destructive extractive activities, according to the nonprofit Marine Conservation Institute. That\u2019s far below the target agreed under the \u201c30×30\u201d pledge to conserve 30% of land and sea by 2030.<\/p>\n

Ratification of the High Seas Treaty<\/a> tops the agenda. Adopted in 2023, the treaty would for the first time allow nations to establish marine protected areas in international waters, which cover nearly two-thirds of the ocean and are largely ungoverned.<\/p>\n

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\"Mountains<\/p>\n

Mountains are reflected in the waters of France\u2019s Port-Cros National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference, Saturday, June 7, 2025, (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

Mountains are reflected in the waters of France\u2019s Port-Cros National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference, Saturday, June 7, 2025, (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s the Wild West out there with countries just fishing anywhere without any sort of regulation, and that needs to change,\u201d said Mauro Randone, regional projects manager at the World Wildlife Fund\u2019s Mediterranean Marine Initiative. \u201cThe high seas belong to everyone and no one practically at the same time, and countries are finally committing to establish some rules.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ocean is critical<\/a> in stabilizing Earth\u2019s climate and sustaining life. It generates 50% of the oxygen we breathe, absorbs around 30% of carbon dioxide emissions and captures more than 90% of the excess heat caused by those emissions.<\/p>\n

Without a healthy ocean<\/a>, experts warn, climate goals will remain out of reach.<\/p>\n

The treaty will come into force once 60 countries ratify it. As of Monday, at least 49 countries<\/a> had. Advocates hope the conference can build enough momentum to cross the threshold, which would allow for the first official Oceans Conference of Parties.<\/p>\n

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\"People<\/p>\n

People swim as vessels sail during the \u201cOcean Wonders\u201d themed event in honor of World Oceans Day ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference on Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Nice, France. (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

People swim as vessels sail during the \u201cOcean Wonders\u201d themed event in honor of World Oceans Day ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference on Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Nice, France. (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

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\u201cTwo-thirds of the ocean is areas beyond national jurisdiction \u2014 that\u2019s half our planet,\u201d said Minna Epps, director of global ocean policy at the International Union for Conservation of Nature. \u201cWe cannot possibly protect 30% of the ocean if it doesn\u2019t include the high seas.\u201d<\/p>\n

South Korea, France and the European Union<\/a> have championed the treaty, but most large ocean nations have yet to ratify it, including the rest of the G20.<\/p>\n

Thousands of conference attendees are expected, including heads of state, scientists and industry leaders. The United States has confirmed it isn\u2019t sending a formal delegation, just observers.<\/p>\n

From protections on paper to something real<\/p>\n

The conference highlights the growing gap between marine protection declarations and real-world conservation.<\/p>\n

France, the conference co-host, claims to have surpassed the 30% target for marine protection. But environmental groups say only 3% of French waters are fully protected from harmful activities like bottom trawling and industrial fishing.<\/p>\n

In 2024, more than 100 bottom-trawling vessels were recorded spending over 17,000 hours fishing within France\u2019s six marine nature parks, according to ocean advocacy group Oceana<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe government declares these as protected areas, but this is a lie,\u201d said Enric Sala, founder of National Geographic Pristine Seas marine reserve project. \u201cMost of it is political box-ticking. It\u2019s all paper parks.\u201d<\/p>\n

That criticism is echoed across the continent. A new World Wildlife Fund report<\/a> found that although more than 11% of Europe\u2019s marine area is designated for protection, just 2% of EU waters have management plans in place.<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/p>\n

A wandering cratena, or nudibranch, is visible in the protected area of France\u2019s Porquerolles National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference on Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

A wandering cratena, or nudibranch, is visible in the protected area of France\u2019s Porquerolles National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference on Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

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\"Yellow<\/p>\n

Yellow cluster anemone is visible in the protected area of France\u2019s Porquerolles National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference on Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

Yellow cluster anemone is visible in the protected area of France\u2019s Porquerolles National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference on Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

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Fabien Boileau, director of marine protected areas at France\u2019s Office for Biodiversity, acknowledged the presence of bottom trawling in French protected areas, but said it was part of a phased strategy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn France, we made the choice to designate large marine protected areas with relatively low levels of regulation at first, betting that stronger protections would be developed over time through local governance,\u201d he said. \u201cToday, we\u2019re gradually increasing the number of zones with stricter protections within those areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

France\u2019s Port-Cros: A model for conservation<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/p>\n

A rainbow wrasse swims in the protected area of France\u2019s Port-Cros National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference, Saturday, June 7, 2025, (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

A rainbow wrasse swims in the protected area of France\u2019s Port-Cros National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference, Saturday, June 7, 2025, (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

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Other marine protected areas show what real protection can achieve. Off southern France, Port-Cros National Park is one of the oldest marine reserves in the Mediterranean. Strict anchoring bans have allowed vast seagrass meadows to grow undisturbed. Massive groupers patrol rocky outcrops, brightly colored nudibranchs munch on algae and schools of large corbs glide through the shallows, undisturbed by fishing lines.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to the protections that have been in place since 1963, we can observe species that are much larger than elsewhere in the Mediterranean and at a much higher density than in other areas,\u201d said Hubert Flavigny, manager of Mio Palmo dive center in Hyeres, France.<\/p>\n

Still, such examples remain exceptions.<\/p>\n

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\"Saupe<\/p>\n

Saupe fish swim in the protected area of France\u2019s Port-Cros National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference, Saturday, June 7, 2025, (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

Saupe fish swim in the protected area of France\u2019s Port-Cros National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference, Saturday, June 7, 2025, (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

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\"Anemone<\/p>\n

Anemone is visible in the protected area of France\u2019s Port-Cros National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference, Saturday, June 7, 2025, (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

Anemone is visible in the protected area of France\u2019s Port-Cros National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference, Saturday, June 7, 2025, (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

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Advocates say industrial fishing lobbies continue to resist stricter protections, despite evidence that well-managed reserves boost long-term fisheries through the \u201cspillover effect,\u201d whereby marine life flourishes in nearby waters.<\/p>\n

\u201cProtection is not the problem \u2014 overfishing is the problem,\u201d said Sala. \u201cThe worst enemy of the fishing industry is themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frustrated by government inaction, environmental groups have taken enforcement into their own hands. In May, Greenpeace<\/a> dropped 15 limestone boulders into France\u2019s Golfe du Lion, aiming to physically block bottom trawling in a marine area that has long been designated for protection. The protected zone was established in 2008 to preserve deep-sea ecosystems, yet 12 trawlers continue to operate there, despite scientific warnings of ecological collapse, according to activist group MedReAct.<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/p>\n

A grouper swims in the protected area of France\u2019s Port-Cros National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference, Saturday, June 7, 2025, (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

A grouper swims in the protected area of France\u2019s Port-Cros National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference, Saturday, June 7, 2025, (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

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The Golfe is now one of the most overfished areas in the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n

What will the conference deliver?<\/p>\n

The conference will feature 10 panels on topics such as blue finance, sustainable fisheries and plastic pollution. Deep sea mining is expected to feature in broader discussions, while small island states are likely to use the platform to advocate for increased climate adaptation funding.<\/p>\n

The outcome of these discussions will form the basis of the Nice Ocean Action Plan \u2014 a declaration of voluntary commitments to be adopted by consensus and presented at the United Nations in July.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere cannot be a healthy planet without a healthy ocean,\u201d said Peter Thomson, U.N. special envoy for the ocean. \u201cIt\u2019s urgent business for us all.\u201d ___<\/p>\n

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\"Coral<\/p>\n

Coral is visible in the protected area of France\u2019s Porquerolles National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference on Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

Coral is visible in the protected area of France\u2019s Porquerolles National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference on Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo\/Annika Hammerschlag)<\/p>\n

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Follow Annika Hammerschlag on Instagram @ahammergram.<\/a><\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Associated Press writer Matthew Daly in Washington contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP\u2019s environmental coverage, visit https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/climate-and-environment<\/a><\/p>\n