At UNOC3, the World Finally Talks Transparency — Now, Will it Act?

NICE, France — As the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) closed today, global leaders showed tentative signs of moving beyond business as usual. Tucked into the ocean summit’s final outcome document, delegates finally recognized technology and transparency as critical tools to protecting our ocean and meeting global sustainability targets like 30×30 — the pledge to conserve 30 percent of the world’s land and ocean by 2030.

While to some that might sound like a footnote, to those toiling on the frontline of ocean sustainability it’s a welcome step in the right direction, marking clear progress since the 2022 U.N. Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, when transparency was absent from the outcome document. Indeed, in a field long hindered by political inertia, limited resources and weak enforcement, this is a clear acknowledgment that a new approach is needed to ocean governance — and that transparency and cutting-edge technology can transform ambition into action. 

Opacity has long been the default mode of marine management. Vast areas of the ocean remain poorly monitored, if at all —  their waters vulnerable to overfishing, habitat destruction, biodiversity loss and the illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) that flourishes in the absence of oversight. According to data from Global Fishing Watch, as much as 75 percent of global fishing activity is absent from public monitoring systems. This lack of transparency isn’t just a technical gap — it’s a policy failure. Without transparent, accessible data on where fishing is happening and who ultimately benefits from the fishing activity, even the most ambitious conservation goals risk becoming empty gestures.

From transparency to marine protection

While the U.N. Ocean Conference’s outcome document marks a positive shift in how we approach ocean governance, the turn toward transparency has long been coming. In just over a decade, the number of large fishing vessels broadcasting their locations through satellite tracking systems has surged. In 2012, barely a sliver of the global fleet shared its position via public channels. Today, nearly 140,000 vessels, or roughly one-third of the world’s large fishing fleet, transmit their movements through technologies like the automatic identification system (AIS) and vessel monitoring systems. These advances, driven by government policies and voluntary commitments, have transformed our ability to see what’s happening on the water.

The implications are profound. Governments, researchers, civil society, and journalists are now increasingly able to map fishing activity with unprecedented accuracy. Regional fisheries management organizations are using this data to inform better policy. Governments are applying it to monitor protected areas and detect IUU fishing even in some of the most remote parts of the ocean. Transparency is no longer just a rallying cry for ocean sustainability — it’s producing tangible and visible results. 

Take Costa Rica’s Cocos Island National Park. Located more than 300 miles off the mainland, this ecological treasure spans over 21,000 square miles and is home to one of the largest no-fishing zones in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. It’s a bold expression of Costa Rica’s commitment to the 30×30 goal. But its isolation also makes it a magnet for illegal fishing. Without transparent tracking, enforcement would be next to impossible. With it, Costa Rica can protect one of the ocean’s most vital ecosystems. In fact, by leveraging vessel tracking data and cutting-edge technologies like Global Fishing Watch’s marine manager portal, Costa Rica has seen a 98 percent reduction in illegal fishing activity in the reserve in 2024. 

At the same time, half a world away in the Mediterranean, Albania and Italy worked together to use transparency and tracking to manage crucial fishing grounds in the Otranto Channel. Global Fishing Watch analysis of fishing activity in the area helped clarify where and when fishing vessels, particularly trawlers, were present, and shed light on risks posed to vulnerable marine ecosystems, like deep-water corals. This led to the creation of a new fisheries restricted area to support restoration of local fish populations. 

Countdown to 2030

These victories matter as they point to the critical benefits transparency and technology deliver for sustainable ocean governance. But if the UNOC3 language is to live up to its promise, all governments must now act swiftly to bring transparency from document to dock. That means three things. 

First, sharing data must become the norm, not the exception. Governments should publish information on vessel identity, ownership and tracking activity. And they must commit to ensuring that different organizations can exchange and use each other’s data by enabling the sharing of information across platforms and stakeholders. 

Second, more governments must expedite the deployment of cutting-edge and open source technologies. Tools such as AI-powered monitoring and data platforms revolutionize our ability to detect illegal fishing, assess ecosystem health and protect our ocean. 

Third, transparency must be paired with fairness. As we work to achieve our 30×30 targets, we must ensure that the benefits and the decision-making power are shared with those most affected: coastal communities, Indigenous peoples and small-scale fishers.

The message from Nice is clear: with less than five years left to meet global sustainability targets, we need urgent, collective and measurable action. Transparency and technology won’t solve every problem — but without them, every other tool is weakened. The ocean is too important to manage in the dark. At UNOC3, the world took a step into the light.