Faced with US President Donald Trump’s unilateral plan to extract metal-rich pebbles from the bottom of the Pacific, world leaders advocated adopting common rules to preserve deep-sea ecosystems at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice on Monday 9 June.
“The abyss is not for sale, any more than Greenland, Antarctica or the high seas”, declared French President Emmanuel Macron at the opening of the conference, which will bring together more than 60 heads of state or government until 13 June, in reference to Mr Trump’s expansionist statements regarding the autonomous Danish territory.
Mr Macron renewed his call for a moratorium on deep-sea mining, now supported by 36 countries and the European Union. He denounced “the folly of launching a predatory economic action that will turn the deep sea upside down (...), when we know nothing about it!” On the sidelines of the conference, a declaration to this effect was signed by 24 countries, including France, Germany and Spain.
President of the European Council António Costa also felt that “a moratorium on deep-sea mining is essential”.
“The deep seas cannot become a Wild West”, added UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
On everyone’s mind: Donald Trump plans to unilaterally launch the exploitation of nickel nodules and other critical metals lying in international waters in the Pacific, in areas administered by a UN authority to which the United States does not belong.
“We see the threat of unilateralism looming over the ocean. We cannot allow what happened to international trade to happen to the sea”, declared Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, calling for clear action by the International Seabed Authority to curb this “predatory race” for seabed metals.
But to protect oceans that are already overheated, overfished and polluted, small countries of the South – particularly the Pacific islands – are keeping up the pressure on rich nations, including Europe. “If you really want to protect the oceans, prove it”, said Surangel Whipps Jr, president of Palau, calling on developed countries to reduce their debt.
Marine protected areas. Several countries took advantage of the conference to announce the creation of new marine protected areas, including Greece, Brazil and Spain, the latter covering a quarter of its waters. French Polynesia will create what will be, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the largest protected area in the world.
Other countries have announced localised bans on bottom trawling, such as the UK in half of its marine protected areas. France has followed suit in some of its zones, after consultation with fishermen, but NGOs point out that this covers only 4% of waters in mainland France.
Bottom trawling is widely criticised for the damage it causes to sensitive marine habitats (seagrass beds, coral, etc.).
The international community has set itself the target of protecting 30% of the seas by 2030, compared with just 8.36% at present. According to Emmanuel Macron, this proportion will rise to 12% after the announcements made in Nice. However, protection does not necessarily imply a ban on fishing or other harmful activities, with each country defining its own level of requirements.
“At the current rate, it would take 300 years to reach the 30% target”, lamented Emanuel Gonçalves, chief scientist at the Oceano Azul Foundation.
High Seas Treaty. Mr Macron welcomed the fact that 55 of the 60 ratifications required for the high seas treaty to enter into force had been achieved, which – along with other commitments – would enable its application from 1 January next year.
According to the UN Treaty Section, 18 new ratifications took place on 9 June, bringing the total to 50. Others could follow in the next few days.
“Today’s surge of ratifications [...] is a tidal wave of hope and a huge cause for celebration”, said Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance. The treaty aims to protect marine life in international waters beyond 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the coast.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen also welcomed this treaty, which is “a crucial instrument to protect our ocean beyond borders”. She pointed out that Europe would be contributing €40 million to the global ocean programme. “Please speed up ratification”, she urged.
She also spoke of the “incredible digital twin of the ocean”, a technological tool to better understand and manage marine environments.
Restoring the oceans. Ms von der Leyen presented the ‘European Ocean Pact’: “We will strive to cut plastic and nutrient pollution by half within five years. We will restore natural habitats and shelter our coasts more effectively from the impact of climate change. Our goal is to restore 20% of Europe’s marine ecosystems to life by 2030”.
Fishing and aquaculture. She paid tribute to the fishermen who “work tirelessly to feed us”, while highlighting the challenges they face: extreme weather events and unfair competition.
The European Commission intends to direct subsidies towards local resilience projects and to make small-scale fishing a priority. She will work with Member States to ensure fair access to fishery resources and facilitate the renewal of small vessels, particularly in the most remote regions.
The Ocean Pact will support the modernisation and decarbonisation of fleets, and help coastal communities to adopt new economic models that benefit both nature and people. These measures “will help us to produce at least half of our marine food right here in Europe”, she said.
Europe is also adopting a zero-tolerance policy against illegal fishing. To prevent the movement of criminals between countries, regional partnerships will be set up in the Mediterranean, West Africa and the Pacific. In Europe, a digital catch registration system will prevent illegally caught fish from entering the European market.
Research and funding. The EU will invest €1 billion in 50 projects around the world, aimed at people who live from the sea, scientists and environmentalists. “We will help to promote sustainable fishing in Tanzania, regenerate mangrove forests and their natural supply chains in Guyana and protect the coral and seagrass which sustain 20% of global fish stocks”, concluded Ursula von der Leyen.
Link to the statement on deep sea mining: https://aeur.eu/f/h8n (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)