UN OCEAN CONFERENCE SHINES A LIGHT ON THE DEEP SEA NOW, TIME FOR ACTION

UN Ocean Conference shines a light on the deep sea. Now, time for action. The 3rd UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) concluded on Friday in Nice, France, with the deep sea placed firmly at the heart of international ocean governance. From opening remarks to final declarations, the message was clear: protecting life below water means protecting the deep.

The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) is calling on governments to act now – (i) by protecting seamounts and vulnerable marine ecosystems from destructive activities like bottom trawling, and (ii) by securing a moratorium on deep-sea mining.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres captured this urgency in his opening address, warning that:

“the deep sea cannot become the Wild West.” His call reflected growing political, scientific and public recognition that deep-sea ecosystems – among the planet’s most fragile and least understood – must be safeguarded from exploitation, for the long term health of people and our planet.

Bottom trawling emerged as a major focus throughout the conference. French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the issue in his keynote, noting the devastating impacts of this destructive fishing method. On the eve of the conference, the DSCC, together with the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) and the Marine Conservation Institute, launched a new Seamounts Science Statement, underlining the ecological importance of seamounts and calling on States to honour commitments made over the past 20 years to protect them from bottom trawling.

This week’s momentum was bolstered by developments in both Europe and the Pacific. In New Zealand, alarming new evidence revealed widespread damage to deep-sea corals from bottom trawling. Meanwhile, the European Court of Justice upheld restrictions on bottom contact fishing in vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems, dismissing Spain’s legal challenge and reinforcing the need for science-based protection.

“The One Ocean Science Congress and UNOC3 have brought the issue of bottom trawling to the forefront like never before. David Attenborough’s film – Ocean – has exposed a long-invisible practice, and the international community is paying attention,” said Bronwen Golder, DSCC Seamounts Campaign Director: “The science is undeniable and the public is watching. Now governments must act to protect seamounts and other vulnerable marine ecosystems,”

Deep-sea mining was another high-profile and hotly discussed issue. In their opening remarks, conference co-hosts President Macron (France) and President Chaves Robles (Costa Rica) set the tone by voicing firm opposition to any rush to exploit the deep, with President Macron calling deep-sea mining “madness” and the industry “predatory.”

During the week, Latvia, Cyprus, Slovenia and the Marshall Islands joined the growing list of nations calling for a moratorium or precautionary pause on deep-sea mining, bringing the total to 37. In parallel, major financial institutions, including Credit Agricole, BNP, and Caisse des Dépôts announced they would not finance deep-sea mining projects.

“UNOC3 made it unmistakably clear: deep-sea mining is one of the biggest threats facing our ocean, and the world is saying ‘no,’” said Sofia Tsenikli, DSCC Deep-Sea Mining Moratorium Campaign Director. “We must now turn our attention to the International Seabed Authority meeting in July, where any attempts to rush into mining or bypass multilateral processes must be met with unified resistance, rooted in precaution, science, and common sense.”

Throughout the conference, calls to strengthen multilateralism and international cooperation also echoed as a unifying theme, particularly in relation to governing shared global commons like the deep sea.

“Multilateralism is the bedrock of deep-sea protection,” said Sian Owen, DSCC Executive Director. “Whether banning bottom trawling of our ocean’s most vulnerable ecosystems, such as seamounts, or confirming a moratorium on deep-sea mining, governments must act together, with urgency and courage, to ensure that the deep ocean is protected for the benefit of all humankind.”

As the conference concludes, the challenge is clear: momentum from Nice must now become meaningful, measurable action. The deep sea is no longer out of sight, nor out of mind.