How Can the UN Ocean Conference Advance a Sustainable Blue Economy?

Nice (France), June 6 (NationPress) As the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) approaches in Nice, prominent marine researchers from around the globe are urging governments to fulfill their long-standing promises to safeguard vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems, including seamounts, from the destructive impact of bottom trawling.

Experts assert that we have just five years remaining to meet the target of protecting 30 percent of the ocean. Currently, only 8.3 percent of the ocean is safeguarded, with a mere 3 percent being fully protected.

UNOC3, the largest ocean summit ever held, will gather a diverse array of stakeholders, including governments, international organizations, civil society, the private sector, and academic institutions.

The ocean drives 80 percent of global trade and underpins jobs, food security, and climate initiatives. However, threats from climate change, pollution, and inadequate investment jeopardize its future.

Nevertheless, the scientific community is calling for immediate measures to shield the deep ocean from the ravages of bottom trawling.

These magnificent underwater realms, seamounts, serve as spawning and nursery habitats, food sources, resting spots, and navigational points for whales, sharks, and numerous other marine species.

Yet, specialists indicate that bottom trawling continues to obliterate these ancient, delicate, and essential ecosystems, allowed by a few countries that should be acting to uphold a United Nations (UN) resolution initiated nearly two decades ago.

According to various UN resolutions, vulnerable marine ecosystems, including seamounts, must be safeguarded from harmful activities.

Concerns regarding bottom trawling on seamounts were first raised at the UN in 2004, culminating in a General Assembly resolution in 2006 to prohibit the practice, which states have yet to enforce effectively.

In an open letter signed by international scientists, nations are urged to take prompt action to preserve these remarkable underwater mountains.

The letter details mounting scientific evidence emphasizing seamounts' ecological significance as biodiversity hotspots, as eloquently showcased in David Attenborough’s landmark documentary, Ocean.

Lissette Victorero, Science Advisor at the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC), stated: "We have never understood seamounts and their biodiversity importance, their vulnerabilities, and their critical function in maintaining a healthy ocean better than we do now."

"This letter serves as a clarion call from the scientific community. States possess the necessary tools to halt this destruction and preserve thousands of years of history from being erased by bottom trawling. The science is unequivocal: the time for action is now," Victorero emphasized.

The UNOC3's opening on June 9 will feature an official segment including speeches by the UN Secretary-General, the President of Costa Rica, and the President of the French Republic, who are co-hosting the summit.

Throughout UNOC3, lasting commitments are anticipated. Among them, new marine protected areas will be introduced, and there is optimism that European leaders might take a stand against bottom trawling within marine protected zones.

However, marine litter poses a substantial challenge in our oceans, with some scientists warning that by 2050, the amount of plastic in the oceans could surpass that of fish.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has been governing marine plastic litter for the past 50 years, addressing everything from waste dumping at sea to ship discharges. Scientific predictions indicate that by 2040, plastic leakage into the environment may increase by 50 percent, and this pollution can infiltrate "our bodies through the food we consume, the water we drink, and even the air we breathe."

World Environment Day 2025 calls for unified action against plastic pollution, coming just two months prior to nations resuming talks on a global treaty aimed at eradicating plastic waste.

The European Parliament has approved regulations to diminish plastic marine litter and overall packaging waste per capita and plans to ban specific single-use plastic packaging by 2030.

On average, each individual in the EU generated 36.1 kilos of plastic packaging waste in 2021. The volume of plastic packaging waste produced per inhabitant saw a rise of about 29 percent from 2010 to 2021. In total, the EU produced 16.13 million tonnes of plastic waste in 2021, with approximately 6.56 million tonnes being recycled.

While the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts India to continue being the fastest-growing major economy over the next two years, it has yet to implement direct policies aimed at mitigating marine litter.

A study published in Nature has revealed that India is now the world's largest contributor to plastic pollution, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the total global plastic waste.

With 9.3 million tonnes of plastic waste produced annually, India's role in this environmental crisis surpasses that of entire regions.

(Vishal Gulati can be reached at vishal.g@ians.in)