LAST UPDATE | 9 Jun

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 he addressed other leaders in attendance today.

He said that Ireland “understands the need to protect our marine environment”.

“As an island nation on the edge of Europe, the oceans and seas have shaped our history.  They have provided food, created employment, inspired our poets, and linked us to the rest of the world,” Martin said.

“From our geographical setting at the edge of the Atlantic, we recognise the need to prioritise the ocean agenda.”

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. 

A political declaration that has been drafted for countries to consider at the summit focuses on ocean conservation and using oceans for economic activities in ways that are sustainable. 

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. 

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.

The Taoiseach said today that the EU Ocean Pact is “making a commitment to protect our marine ecosystems, to advance sustainable blue economies, and to increase our knowledge through research and innovation”.

“Political leadership is crucial for the successful implementation of this Pact,” he said.

“It is important that we, as heads of State, continue to show that leadership and support President Von Der Leyen and Commissioner Kadis to ensure the success of the European Ocean Pact.

“Ireland is very much looking forward to taking on the Presidency of the European Council in the second half of 2026. If work to drive the implementation of the Ocean Pact falls during our Presidency, we will ensure these are resourced and prioritised accordingly.”

Tom Pickerell of the World Resources Institute’s Ocean Program said the EU 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 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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