Deep Sea Mining vs. Blue Economy: Behind the Scenes of the Ocean Emergency Summit that Shook the World in Nice

1. Prologue: What the "Ocean Emergency" Confronts Us With

At the dawn of World Ocean Day on June 8, a fleet of research vessels, led by the offshore research ship Energy Observer, entered the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, southern France. This was a visual message for the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) starting the next day. "Humanity can no longer issue 'blank checks'," French President Macron urged at the eve's celebrationphys.org.

2. The Five Major Issues of the Conference

2-1. 30by30: The Gap Between Numbers and Reality

The international goal is to protect 30% of marine areas by 2030. However, currently, only about 3% is "strictly protected"phys.org. Emma Hughes, Associate Professor at the University of Sussex, points out the problem of "paper parks" where bottom trawling is common even in protected areas.

2-2. The Ripple Effect of Banning Bottom Trawling

Just before the opening, the UK government announced a ban on bottom trawling in 41 protected areas (93,000 km²) along the British coast, which was welcomed by domestic environmental NGOs but deemed "too late"theguardian.com. France also declared regulations in some of its protected areas, but environmental groups are pushing for a complete ban within the EU.

2-3. High Seas Treaty and Deep-Sea Mining Moratorium

The High Seas Treaty adopted in 2023 will come into effect with the ratification of 60 countries, but as of June 9, only 32 countries have ratified itapnews.com. France proposed promoting treaty ratification along with a deep-sea mining moratorium, but the United States' acceptance of mining caused a lack of unityphys.org.

2-4. Zero Plastic Pollution and the Funding Gap

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that an investment of $100 billion annually is needed to make ocean plastics virtually zero by 2100. However, among the 17 SDG goals, ocean conservation (SDG14) is the field with the least fundingphys.org.

2-5. Blue Carbon and Decarbonization of Shipping

At the conference side event, Japan, Australia, and Indonesia jointly announced the "Blue Carbon Alliance" and proposed an international unified indicator for mangrove absorption. In the shipping sector, the concretization of the "Green Shipping Challenge" agreed upon at COP27 became a point of discussionft.com.

3. Japan's Current Position

Japan's territorial waters and EEZ rank 6th in the world, but the strict protection rate is 7.9%. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries plans to expand the "voluntary fishing suspension zones for offshore bottom trawling" by fiscal year 2025, but the legal binding force is weak. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its intention to ratify the High Seas Treaty by 2027 in Nice and announced the free release of high seas observation data by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC).

4. The Temperature Difference Reflected by SNS

From the younger generation, there are many positive voices such as "Seems faster than climate COP" and "Hurry up with treaty ratification," while from those involved in the fishing industry, concerns were posted about "unclear impact on livelihoods."

5. Experts Read the "Nice Declaration"

• Enric Sala (National Geographic Ocean Explorer)
  "Individual commitments of each country are more important than political statements. Whether Japan can double the strict protection of its EEZ is a touchstone."phys.org

• Pauli Merriman (WWF International)
  "The biggest barrier is the lack of funds."Expansion of the Blue Economy Bond Market is Key"phys.org

6. Future Timeline

7. Conclusion—What Will Japan Choose for a "Resilient Ocean"?

Although UNOC3 is not legally binding, the expansion of protected areas and financial commitments announced by countries are the result of the convergence of public pressure and scientific evidence. For Japan, achieving a strict protection rate of 30% by 2030 will be a litmus test to uphold its reputation as a "nation contributing to the Earth." With little time left, actions such as ratifying the High Seas Treaty in the Diet, a total ban on bottom trawling, and the introduction of blue carbon accounting are crucial.

"Protecting the ocean is protecting our tables, jobs, and climate."—How will we incorporate these words exchanged in Nice into domestic policy? The next move is now up to each citizen's choice.