• The UN Ocean Conference opens in Nice, France, emphasizing urgent marine protection.
• Only 2.7% of the ocean is effectively protected, far from the target of 30% by 2030.
• Discussions will focus on the ratification of the High Seas Treaty for establishing marine protected areas.
• France claims to have surpassed marine protection targets, despite environmental criticism.
• High-level discussions will include sustainable financing and the impact of climate change on oceans.

The third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) opened on Monday in Nice, France, aiming to address global challenges of marine conservation as pressure mounts for nations to fulfill decades of promises for ocean protection. French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the need to transition "from words to deeds" in safeguarding oceanic ecosystems, which are crucial for biodiversity and climate health, especially as only 2.7% of the ocean is effectively protected from detrimental activities, according to the Marine Conservation Institute. This figure starkly contrasts with the global commitment under the "30x30" pledge to conserve 30% of land and sea by 2030, highlighting a significant global conservation gap, according to Indiatimes, South China Morning Post, and Africanews.

Central to this year's agenda is the High Seas Treaty, which aims to permit nations to establish marine protected areas in international waters. Mauro Randone, from the World Wildlife Fund’s Mediterranean Marine Initiative, described the current state of the high seas as "the Wild West," where countries are fishing without regulations. The treaty requires ratification from 60 countries to take effect, and so far only 32 nations have ratified it, placing an urgent call for countries to finalize their commitments, according to Indiatimes, South China Morning Post, and Africanews.

The conference spotlighted the disparity between declarations of marine protection and real-world actions. Although France claims to have surpassed the 30% target, environmental groups contest that only 3% of French waters are truly protected from harmful activities like bottom trawling. Reports from Oceana illustrate that over 100 bottom-trawling vessels spent substantial time operating within French marine parks, contradicting governmental claims, as highlighted by the founder of the National Geographic Pristine Seas project, Enric Sala, who critiques this as mere "political box-ticking", as reported by Indiatimes, South China Morning Post, and Africanews.

Port-Cros National Park, one of the oldest marine reserves in the Mediterranean, exemplifies real protection success, allowing marine life to thrive due to strict regulations. However, the broader trend consists of continuing challenges: industrial fishing lobbies resist the introduction of stricter conservation measures despite the positive long-term impacts of well-managed reserves on fish populations, indicating a need for ongoing advocacy and action in favor of marine ecosystems, according to Indiatimes, South China Morning Post, and Africanews.

Discussions during the conference will include topics such as sustainable financing, including "blue bonds" and "blue loans," aimed at facilitating ocean conservation efforts. Scientists participating warn that ongoing challenges such as rising ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, and sea-level rise require immediate and coordinated global action, highlighting the pressing necessity for effective implementation of marine protections and the urgency of the treaty negotiations, according to Indiatimes, South China Morning Post, and Africanews.