What's is happening to oceans

Forbes

a day ago

World leaders have gathered this week for the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France. The UN Ocean Conference takes place every three years. It plays a vital role in bringing together governments, civil society, businesses, and scientists to build momentum for the flow of finances, partnerships, and global commitments. The conference will support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development. If you've seen the movie Oceans by David Attenborough, you might have some idea of the issues facing our oceans. But for those who haven't, this article offers a helpful introduction.
Oceans are our planet's 'blue heart'— to borrow the words from UN Secretary-General's opening speech at this week's conference, so their health is vital. One reason for the poor state of the oceans is that they have not received enough attention. For instance, they are radically underfunded, receiving only 1% of climate finance.
With so many topics about oceans being discussed in the media, those new to the topic might wonder where to start to stay informed. After all, ocean issues can involve sophisticated terminology that may make newcomers hesitant to follow along. Here are three words you should know this week to simplify your understanding of the issues.
Over 90% of global fish stocks are affected by overfishing. While the word overfishing may sound self-explanatory, the nuance is essential: overfishing relative to what? Overfishing refers to a state where more fish are caught than can be sustainably replaced through natural reproduction in marine ecosystems. Such unsustainable fishing impacts biodiversity and ecosystem health and has serious social and economic consequences, especially for local communities.
In many developing countries, fish are integral to livelihoods and food security. A study published in Nature last year found that many fishermen in Bangladesh are considering changing professions as their incomes continue to fall. The researchers surveyed and interviewed 100 fishermen. Although Bangladesh has over 1.7 million fishermen across 64 districts, the findings still capture an underrepresented group rarely reflected in scientific literature.
Government subsidies are a major driver of overfishing. In 2018, about $35 billion was provided in global fisheries subsidies—surprisingly, nearly 80% of that went to large-scale industrial fishing operations rather than small-scale fishers. While these subsidies are often justified by the employment generated in the large-scale fishing economy, the broader environmental and social costs are turning out to be much higher.
A significant step came in 2022 when countries adopted the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. However, it has yet to come into force, as two-thirds of WTO members must ratify it. Experts at the FAIRR Initiative—an investor network raising awareness about the material risks and opportunities in the global food sector—argue that the treaty falls short, as it doesn't sufficiently limit subsidies that reduce operating costs like fuel used, which disproportionately benefit large vessels and incentivize overfishing.
Bottom trawling is an industrial fishing method that involves dragging large nets along the sea floor. These nets, often weighing several tonnes, are attached to heavy metal gear and indiscriminately scoop up all marine life in their path.
Even Marine Protected Areas are not spared. Based on satellite data analysis, over 20,000 hours of suspected bottom trawling occurred in United Kingdon's MPAs last year. Of the 377 the country controls, only 37 are fully protected from bottom trawling — mainly because they include ecologically sensitive features such as coral reefs, qualifying them for exclusion. It's important not to assume that all vessels involved in bottom trawling are from the UK; they also come from countries like France, and a small share of vessels from other countries.
Earlier this week, the UK proposed banning bottom trawling in vulnerable marine habitats. However, even when marine areas are designated as protected, weak enforcement often allows these destructive practices to continue.
Much of the fish caught through bottom trawling is discarded. These unintended catches — called bycatch — are not the target species and are thrown overboard. Reports from communities near bottom-trawling zones estimate that millions of pounds of fish are wasted as bycatch each year. While these fish may not matter to industrial fishing vessels, they represent lost food and income for local communities.
About one in five fish is caught illegally or goes unreported. Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing causes losses of $10–23.5 billion annually.
IUU exists due to weak monitoring systems, which experts call a lack of seafood traceability. The seafood supply chain involves multiple actors, fish species, vessel types, and fragmented management, making it hard to verify where fish are sourced.
Last year, groups, including the FAIRR Initiative, WWF, and UNEP FI, began engaging with investors to encourage major seafood companies to adopt full-chain digital traceability systems. The first phase of this engagement that ended this month with a progress report found that only two out of seven assessed companies had robust traceability commitments—and even these often applied to only one type of fish or did not cover the whole supply chain.
Much more needs to be done in this space, but at least these issues are no longer happening in the shadows—that is something to rejoice about.
One big thing to expect from the Oceans Conference is a political declaration that will kickstart a new wave of action and solutions for our marine ecosystems. The momentum the world is building gives reason to believe that the future of our oceans will not be colorless, as depicted in David Attenborough's Oceans film after trawlers destroy the seabed but bright, full of life and bursting with colors.