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Researchers set sail, kicking off the third UN Ocean Conference in France

Delegates including heads of state, scientists, and environmental advocates are expected in Nice this week to confront growing threats to the ocean

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UNOC participants, including France’s President Emmanuel Macron (centre-left) and Prince Albert II of Monaco (centre-right) on stage at the end of the Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF) at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE

A fleet of 30 research and exploration vessels from around the world will set sail just off the French coastal city of Nice on Sunday to kick off the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) and pay tribute to World Oceans Day.

The event themed “Ocean Wonders” will see the vessels sail across Nice’s Baie des Anges, or Bay of Angels, and is designed to spotlight the beauty and importance of the ocean while urging world leaders not to lose sight of its value as they make decisions about the planet’s future.

Thousands of delegates, including heads of state, scientists, and environmental advocates, are expected in Nice this week to confront growing threats to the ocean and the need to transform pledges into protection.

The UN has called the threats a global emergency facing the world’s oceans as they confront rising temperatures, plastic pollution choking marine life, and relentless overexploitation of fish and other resources.

Just 2.7 per cent of the global ocean is effectively protected from destructive activities like industrial fishing and deep-sea mining – far below the global goal of 30 per cent by 2030.

Participating boats include the Energy Observer, a solar-panel covered catamaran that was the first vessel to circumnavigate the globe using renewable energy alone. It produces hydrogen fuel on board via seawater electrolysis, offering a vision of zero-emissions maritime travel.

Britain’s Prince William, (centre), Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden (right) and European Council President Antonio Costa (left) gather on stage at the end of the Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF) ahead of UNOC, at The Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Sunday. Photo: AFP
Britain’s Prince William, (centre), Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden (right) and European Council President Antonio Costa (left) gather on stage at the end of the Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF) ahead of UNOC, at The Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Sunday. Photo: AFP
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