Nearly 25 times larger than France in the Arctic and 27 times larger in the Antarctic, the polar oceans are largely overlooked by UNOC. Yet the challenges are the same: marine protected areas, plastic pollution, illegal and unregulated fishing, and seabeds. So how can we study, govern, and protect them?
Anne Choquet, Université de Bretagne occidentale
After the United States and Portugal, France is co-hosting the 3ᵉ United Nations Ocean Conference (Unoc) together with Costa Rica. The epinal image of the polar bear alone on a piece of iceberg to illustrate global warming needs no introduction. It begs the question: what solutions are there for the polar oceans?
Polar oceans face the same challenges as other oceans. Although they remain on the sideline of discussions, they are home to a unique biodiversity, and these remote zones are pillars of the global climate due to their role in the carbon cycle and their albedo effect – the reflection of sunlight by ice. They are also extremely sensitive to the growing pressure of human activities such as fishing, transport and tourism.
Thus, what role do the polar oceans play in Unoc’s strategy?
Polar oceans in the background
Unoc is co-organized by France and Costa Rica. On the French side, Olivier Poivre d’Arvor as the French President’s Special Envoy is attached to the organization of Unoc. Asambassador in charge of the poles and maritime issues, he regularly points out that France’s maritime domain “positions it as a subarctic nation thanks to Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, and as a subantarctic nation thanks to its austral and antarctic territories”.
Unoc aims to strengthen the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) on the marine environment, with three priorities:
- Work towards the successful conclusion of ocean-related multilateral processes to raise the level of ambition for ocean protection.
- Mobilize funding for MDG 14 and support the development of a sustainable blue economy.
- Strengthen and better disseminate marine science knowledge for better policy-making.
The risk is that polar oceans will be watered down in the priorities outlined and pushed into the background. One example of this is the February 2025 opinion of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council, which specifically states that it will not address “human activities on the Antarctic continent or in the Arctic Ocean.”
Plastic pollution
The huge distance may lead us to believe that the poles are spared by certain types of pollution. Unfortunately, this is not the case with plastic. From both local and distant sources, plastic has been found in Arctic and Antarctic waters, leading to its ingestion by seabirds.
Unoc could be a means of pushing for ambitious action against plastic pollution. The latter would eventually lead to negotiations for a legally binding instrument, as proposed by the United Nations in Resolution 5/14 in 2022. This is one of the challenges that France has set itself for this summit.
Marine Protected Areas
In 2022, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The goal: to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030.
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Unoc can encourage the entry into force of international treaties such as the agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction – the BBNJ agreement. Adopted in 2023, it provides for the creation of area-based management tools such as marine protected areas (MPAs).
At the SOS Ocean event in March 2025, the French President made ocean preservation a priority, setting a target of “reaching 12% to 15% of marine areas through the creation of marine protected areas by Unoc”. On the eve of the Summit, only 8% of the seas had this status.
Within the Antarctic Treaty system, which is distinct from that of the United Nations, marine protected areas aroundAntarctica have been adopted on the basis of the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). In 2009, the southern shelf of the South Orkney Islands, in 2016, the Ross Sea region were established and others are planned, such as the Weddel Sea. Their creation is essential to preserve polar biodiversity, but depends on a consensus within CCAMLR, and discussions are continuing.
An impetus within Unoc in favor of new Marine Protected Areas can only be beneficial, particularly for developing others in regions as sensitive as the polar oceans.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
It is important to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particularSDG 14. The latter aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. This goal is particularly important for polar oceans, which are increasingly open to fishing.
In the north, fishing is mainly directed towards sub-Arctic regions. However, an agreement to prevent unregulated fishing on the high seas of theCentral Arctic Ocean came into force in 2021. A moratorium on fishing has been imposed, and scientific cooperation has been stepped up.
In the Southern Ocean, fishing activities mainly target krill, Patagonian toothfish, Dissostichus eleginoides, and Antarctic toothfish, Dissostichus mawsoni.
Faced with the development of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, mainly of toothfish, between the 1990s and the early 2000s, and its impact on stocks, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) established unprecedented control measures, such as the listing of vessels fishing in this area.
Addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing at Unoc is essential to promoting sustainable and responsible fishing in polar waters. While tighter controls and cooperation between states have helped to reduce IUU fishing in southern waters, it remains a threat to the conservation of marine resources.
Maritime transport
Faced with increasing maritime traffic in the Arctic and Antarctic with research, tourism and fishing vessels, a legal framework for navigation in the polar regions resulted in the adoption of the Polar Code. Entering into force in 2017, it establishes an international compendium of rules applicable to vessels operating in polar waters.
The development of clean technologies and alternative fuels is essential to limit the environmental footprint of polar vessels. Because of its environmental impact and cost, maritime operators are looking to reduce their dependence on heavy fuel oil. Its transport and use have already been banned in Antarctica since 2010. In the Arctic, the International Maritime Organization has adopted a progressive ban.
Any initiative on decarbonizing transport within Unoc will reinforce the efforts undertaken by the nations for the polar regions.
Scientific research at the forefront
At a time when the polar regions are at the heart of climatic, geopolitical and environmental changes, scientific research is more crucial than ever to understand, anticipate and act.
During his presentation of theParis Call for Glaciers and Poles, adopted at the One Planet-Polar Summit in 2023, the French President announced that 1 billion Euro would be invested in polar research between now and 2030.
In April 2025, Jimmy Pahun, co-chairman of the French National Assembly’s Study Group on the Arctic, Antarctic, French Southern and Antarctic Lands and the Deep Ocean, “reaffirmed his commitment” to requesting an increase in resources for polar research, and that failing would mean that “the government will have to choose which research infrastructure to abandon”.
At Unoc, the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025-2034) was launched to “advance scientific cooperation and action for sustainable development on a global scale”. On June 9, the [first prospective report on French scientific research at the poles] was also presented. https://www.youtube.com/embed/rZj259U-jXc?wmode=transparent&start=0
A better understanding of the polar regions will enable us to protect them more effectively. It is to be hoped that Unoc will be the occasion for ambitious and concrete announcements, in order to preserve polar scientific excellence. It is crucial to strengthen theFrench Polar Institute Paul-Emile Victor (IPEV), the historic and strategic operator of French research, and to give greater support to all polar researchers, especially young ones.
Unoc can provide an ideal bridge between researchers, civil society and decision-makers, transforming scientific urgency into concrete action. As awareness of the strategic and ecological importance of the polar oceans grows, it is to be hoped that governments will be encouraged to take ambitious action to better understand the polar regions and adapt appropriate protection policies.
Anne Choquet, Professor of Law, Amure Laboratory (UBO, Ifremer, CNRS), University of Western Brittany
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read theoriginal article.