Taking the hoiho cause to the world

Report from the 2025 UN Ocean Conference

I was proud to bring the plight of the hoiho to the global conversation at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France in June. Co-organised by the governments of France and Costa Rica, the theme for the third United Nations Oceans Conference was accelerating action and mobilising all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean.

In his address, President Macron spoke passionately about the response to mobilise all actors around the globe and protect the majority of the ocean, particularly the seabed. His vibrant words directly addressing seafloor mining, ‘it is madness to launch economic action that is so predatory. The destruction – we are unaware of what releasing the carbon will do – the abhorrent result.’

Key announcements included the largest Marine Protected Area in the world. French Polynesia declared its entire EEZ (around 5 million km²) a Marine Protected Area.1.1 million km² is under strict protection, allowing only traditional fishing, eco-tourism and scientific research, with plans to expand strict protection to 1.6 million km² by 2026. It bans harmful practices like deep-sea mining and bottom trawling to safeguard key marine species and habitats.

Melanesian Ocean Reserve was announced by Melanesian nations Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, launching the world’s first Indigenous-led multinational ocean reserve covering over 6 million km². The initiative blends traditional knowledge and cultural stewardship with modern conservation. Aims to protect one of the world’s most biodiverse marine regions from threats like climate change and illegal fishing. Supports regenerative economies and Indigenous leadership.

While New Zealand delegation did not announce any new commitments at the conference, Minister Jones highlighted his commitment to eliminating government support of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; New Zealand Island Restoration Projects in partnership with Island Ocean Connection Challenge; building capacity for seabird-safe fishing across APEC economies; USD $45 million to support sustainable Pacific fisheries and USD $50 million to support Pacific ocean science, management and governance.

I was lucky enough to meet marine science icon Sylvia Earle. She spoke about the platform the IUCN Red List can give to endangered species. She was very interested in the plight of the hoiho and highlighted to me what the network can do to draw attention to the cause, provide expert advice, as well as foster positive relationships for advocates for ocean action.

I was invited by Rémi Parmentier, co-founder of Greenpeace and coordinator of Let’s Be Nice to the Ocean, to attend a special function at Villa Arson to hear his vision for Ocean Governance Transformation. Rémi reflected on the journey and the need to think big: ‘I come from a time when Environment Ministries didn’t exist. Today, when I propose creating Ministries of the Ocean, I hear the same resistance. But we’ve been here before, and we’ve changed the system before.’ Shortly after the conference Rémi passed away. It was a special occasion to be in his presence where he announced the ratification of the High Seas Treaty by the end of the year.

It was an honour to sit with Director General of UNESCO, Ms Audrey Azoulay, for the opening plenary at the United Nations Oceans Conference. Ms Azoulay is an inspiration, championing ocean literacy and education. UNESCO adopts a holistic approach to ocean conservation, providing a common framework to support countries in achieving SDG 14, and calling for a transformative shift in how societies interact with the ocean.

Thank you to the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO for its generous support, which enabled me to participate in this historic event.