Nice, SANA- The 2025 UN Ocean Conference commenced Monday in the French city of Nice, amid expectations that its proceedings will include calls to prohibit seabed trawling and expand the scale of marine protected areas worldwide.

The AFP reported that French President Emmanuel Macron, in his opening speech, urged a collective mobilization of efforts, highlighting the significant rise in global temperatures and the clear signs of global warming.

French Minister for Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, stated Sunday that the conference would allow for “increasing the level of protection for international waters.” Participating nations are expected to announce a series of new commitments regarding fishing practices and ocean protection.

In line with these efforts, the Samoan islands have established nine new marine protected areas where fishing is prohibited. These cover 30% of their national waters, spanning an area of 36,000 square kilometers.

Rafah al-Allouni/ Ruaa al-Jazaeri