The UN Ocean Conference has been heralded a success, with more countries ratifying a key treaty to protect marine life and further progress made on curbing plastics and illegal fishing.
Nearly 200 countries came together in Nice, France, to discuss how to tackle the most pressing issues facing the world’s oceans from plastic pollution to climate change.
Sir David Attenborough, speaking ahead of the conference, said he was “appalled” by the damage caused by certain fishing methods and expressed hope that global leaders would “realise how much the oceans matter to all of us.”
A key goal of the conference was to push forward the High Seas Treaty by securing ratification from at least 60 countries, allowing it to come into force. The agreement, signed two years ago, aims to protect 30% of international waters by designating them as marine protected areas (MPAs). By Friday, 50 countries had ratified the treaty, and a dozen more promised to do so by the end of the year.
The swift progress, combined with momentum on tackling plastic waste and illegal fishing, has restored confidence in multilateral cooperation after a year marked by stalled negotiations on climate and biodiversity.
“UNOC has given us a glimmer of hope that the challenges facing our ocean are being seen and will be tackled,” said Tony Long, CEO of Global Fishing Watch. “As we edge closer to the High Seas Treaty coming into force, governments need to double down — using both transparency and new technologies — to safeguard the ocean.”
Before the conference, faith in global environmental agreements had been shaken. But unlike previous efforts, the Nice summit aimed not at creating new treaties, but advancing existing ones — particularly the 30×30 pledge made in 2021 to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030.
The High Seas Treaty, signed in 2023, was a crucial step for protecting international waters — areas with no single governing authority. At the start of the conference, only 27 of the 60 ratifications needed were secured. Within days, the number surged to 50, with countries including the UK pledging to ratify before 2026.
“This is record time for a UN agreement,” said Elizabeth Wilson, senior director of environmental policy at The Pew Trusts.
“Ratification can often take five to seven years. The momentum we’re seeing now reflects the urgency and broad support for protecting the high seas.”
Major powers such as the United States and China have signed the treaty but are yet to ratify. Russia remains opposed, citing concerns over its fisheries.
Despite these gaps, diplomatic leaders like former US Secretary of State John Kerry applauded the progress: “From the High Seas Treaty to French Polynesia’s marine protected area, UNOC showed that when we work together, real accomplishments are possible.”
Several countries also pledged to increase marine protection within their own territorial waters.
The UK also announced plans to ban bottom trawling, a highly destructive fishing method in nearly a third of English MPAs. This move aligns with long-standing demands from conservationists and Sir David Attenborough, who argue that protections without enforcement are meaningless.
French Polynesia launched the largest-ever marine protected area within its waters, with 900,000 square kilometres, four times the size of the UK, designated off-limits to extractive fishing and mining. With this and other commitments made during the conference, approximately 10% of the world’s oceans are now under some form of protection.
“This is sending a message to the world that multilateralism is important,” said Astrid Puentes, an international environmental expert. “The ocean is a single biome on the planet. It is all connected, and we absolutely need to strengthen international law.”
However, a major challenge remains: limiting destructive fishing practices without full participation from countries like China, which operates the world’s largest fishing fleet.
Encouragingly, China announced at the conference that it has ratified the Port State Measures Agreement, a legally binding UN treaty aimed at stamping out illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
Deep sea mining remained a divisive issue. While President Macron opened the conference with strong warnings, only 37 countries supported a proposed moratorium, despite recommendations from 2,000 scientists to pause all seabed exploration until more research is done. Currently, only 0.001% of the ocean floor has been properly mapped.
While deep divisions persist, the UN Ocean Conference in Nice has shown that international cooperation is still possible and urgently needed to protect the planet’s most vital ecosystem.
