The Third United Nations Ocean Conference will bring together representatives from more than 60 countries, as well as researchers and businesses from around the world, from June 9 to 13 in Nice, France. The stated objective is to assess the health of the oceans and take action on three main scourges: global warming, industrial fishing, and offshore mining. The oceans and seas are warmer and more acidic than ever, and polluted by tons of plastic waste, leading to the disappearance of coral reefs and thousands of aquatic species, already threatened by overfishing.
A first victory is the ratification of a treaty to protect the high seas, two years after its adoption by the UN, which allows for the regulation of human activity in international waters. NGOs and environmental specialists nevertheless remain cautious, fearing double standards and declarations of intent that are rarely followed by measures commensurate with the challenges. The United States, the leading maritime power and notable absentee from this summit, has just authorized the mining of the deep sea outside of any international framework.
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