Oceans get their day in the sun at UN summit in French Riviera
PROTECTING THE RICH undersea wildlife in our oceans – like the kind brought to life in David Attenborough's recent 'Ocean' film release – is the focus of an international conference taking place in France this week.
Environment activists are watching to see whether countries will use the UN Ocean Conference as a platform to ratify the High Seas Treaty – a legal framework to protect biodiversity that is only open to signatures from states for a few more months.
Ireland signed the treaty in 2023 when it was introduced but has not yet ratified it – that is, agreed to be bound by it internationally.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed to
The Journal
that Ireland intends to ratify it later this year pending an EU Directive.
Taoiseach Michéal Martin is representing the Irish government at the conference, where a political declaration that has been drafted for countries to consider will focus on ocean conservation and using oceans for economic activities in ways that are sustainable.
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It aims to put countries on track to comply with a 2022 agreement that set a target of protecting at least 30% of the world's marine ecosystems by 2030.
New polling by Red C for campaign group Fair Seas last week found 72% of people agree the Irish government needs to do more to show leadership on ocean environmental issues, while 82% said a healthy marine environment is essential for Ireland's long-term food security.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who is pushing to reach the necessary threshold of 60 countries ratifying the High Seas Treaty to bring it into force, said in the lead-up to the conference in the French Riviera that the world's future 'depends on protecting our oceans'.
The UN Ocean conference meets only once every three years and it's hoped that the gathering of leaders this week will lead to countries pledging funding for measures to protect the oceans.
Ahead of the conference, the European Commission revealed a new 'Ocean Pact' on Thursday.
It includes measures like fighting illegal fishing, restoring degraded coastal marine habitats, and supporting coastal and island communities.
Tom Pickerell of the World Resources Institute's Ocean Program said the pact 'rightly places the ocean at the heart of Europe's environmental, economic, and geopolitical future' and that its 'push for ocean innovation, from offshore renewables and blue biotech to circular economy solutions and zero-carbon shipping, marks real progress toward a sustainable blue economy'.
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However, he cautioned that 'bold words must be backed by results' and that 'many commitments lack clear timelines, targets and accountability'.
'As leaders meet in Nice next week for the UN Ocean Conference, this is a vital moment for countries to restore the ocean's health,' Pickerell said.
'Governments must ratify the High Seas Treaty, protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 and back efforts to manage all national waters sustainably.'
Oceans are under mounting pressure from climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
Oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to contain some emissions that would otherwise contribute to global warming, but increasing volumes of these emissions are raising acidification levels in the water, threatening marine life.
Economic activities linked to oceans are worth an
estimated $2.5 trillion
globally but the impacts of climate change on marine life are a threat to the sectors that rely on the blue economy.
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