The petition was formally presented to Ambassador Peter Thomson, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, on World Oceans Day, June 8, 202512.
Ocean health has deteriorated since last UN Ocean conference
Marine experts and conservationists warn that the state of the ocean has deteriorated further since the last UN Ocean Conference in 2022, despite previous international commitments. Key indicators show intensifying marine heatwaves, ongoing exploration for new offshore oil and gas, persistent destructive fishing practices, and a continued rise in plastic pollution. Current assessments reveal a widespread failure to meet the 2030 targets of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14: Life Below Water), raising concerns about the effectiveness of existing pledges.
Fabienne McLellan, Managing Director of OceanCare, emphasized the urgency: “Today’s handover represents the voice of 114,559 people who are concerned about the continued decline of the Ocean… The response to our campaign has been extraordinary and demonstrates that people around the world understand we cannot afford to delay ocean protection any longer. Each signature represents someone who believes that decisive action is possible if governments have the political will to act. We are delivering these voices to the UN Ocean Conference with a clear message: the time for half-measures has passed.”
Six Transformative Demands for Ocean Protection
The petition centers on six concrete demands designed to address the root causes of ocean degradation:
- Ban offshore oil and gas exploration and phase out existing fossil fuel extraction
- Implement mandatory measures to reduce vessel speed to protect marine wildlife
- Ban destructive fisheries such as bottom trawling
- Adopt comprehensive global rules to end plastic pollution, addressing the full life cycle of plastics
- Agree on a global moratorium on deep-sea mining
- Ensure effective protection and restoration of marine habitats, enforcing conservation measures for damaged ecosystems
These demands reflect the growing public consensus that governments must move beyond aspirational language and deliver binding, science-based solutions.
A critical test for global leadership
The conference in Nice is widely seen as a critical benchmark for assessing whether governments can urgently get on track to achieve SDG 14 by 2030. However, OceanCare and other NGOs have expressed concern that the preliminary draft of the UNOC3 final declaration lacks the ambition and meaningful action required to address the marine crisis effectively. The organization has also coordinated an open letter, signed by over 200 NGOs, calling for a complete ban on offshore oil and gas exploration, arguing that continued fossil fuel activities in marine environments contradict the Paris Agreement’s climate goals and cause severe harm to marine wildlife.
The stakes: life on earth depends on ocean health
The ocean covers more than 70 percent of Earth’s surface, produces around half of the world’s oxygen, and absorbs approximately 90 percent of excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, an estimated 9 million tonnes of plastic waste enter the ocean annually, and collision risks between ships and whales remain high in critical areas. The theme of World Oceans Day 2025, “Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us,” underscores the vital role of healthy marine ecosystems in supporting life on Earth and the urgent need for restoration and protection.
Looking ahead
OceanCare wannounced to closely monitor the negotiations in Nice, engaging with government delegations and providing independent assessments of whether the conference delivers the transformative action needed to reverse current negative trends. The organization stresses that the window for effective ocean action is rapidly closing, likely within the next five to ten years, and that the world is watching to see if leaders will finally deliver on long-standing promises to protect the ocean for future generations.
