At the ongoing UN Ocean Conference (UNOC-3) in Nice, France, global leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, are emphasizing the need for international collaboration to protect the world's oceans from unchecked exploitation.

Macron has reiterated his call for a moratorium on deep-sea mining, stating that the deep seas should not be treated as a 'Wild West.' Guterres endorsed this notion, stressing that the high seas should be governed by international law and should not succumb to unilateral expansionist actions, particularly in light of former President Donald Trump’s plans to initiate mining operations in international waters of the Pacific for critical metals such as nickel.

The discussions also revolve around the ratification of the High Seas Treaty, a pivotal element of the conference.

Macron expressed optimism regarding its implementation, noting that several countries have pledged to join the treaty, with the aim of reaching 60 ratifications required for it to come into effect.

The treaty, signed in 2023, will enter into force 120 days after the 60th ratification.

Although France originally aimed to surpass 60 ratifications during the conference, it has acknowledged that this target may not be achieved at this moment.

However, numerous nations are expected to use the summit as a platform to announce new marine protected areas (MPAs) and to implement bans on certain fishing practices, including bottom trawling.

In his statements, Macron announced a restriction on bottom trawling within France's marine protected areas to enhance protection for marine ecosystems.

This decision has drawn criticism from environmental NGOs, which have deemed the measures insufficiently ambitious.

Meanwhile, the UK government is also anticipated to announce a similar ban on bottom trawling in 41 protected zones, covering approximately 30,000 square kilometers.

If successfully enacted, this policy would place half of England’s MPAs off-limits to this controversial fishing practice, known for its detrimental impacts on carbon emissions and on sensitive marine habitats, such as seagrasses and coral reefs.

The international community has set a target to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030, known as the '30x30' goal.

Currently, only 8.36% of the oceans are designated as protected areas.

At the current pace, this conservation objective is projected not to be met before 2107, according to environmental advocacy group Greenpeace.

The expected announcements at the conference could push global protection levels beyond 10%, as indicated by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition.

The first day of the conference is also marked by scientific initiatives, with the introduction of the International Platform for Ocean Sustainability (Ipos), aimed at advising states on their sustainable ocean development commitments.

Additionally, the Mercator Ocean, an organization that has monitored ocean conditions for over 20 years, is set to be transformed into an international entity in connection with the signing of a treaty.

Mercator is engaged in the development of a 'digital twin' of the ocean, which will assist in understanding phenomena such as cyclones.

Furthermore, a new coalition named Space4Ocean is anticipated to launch, aimed at enhancing ocean preservation and conservation efforts.