Global Fishing Watch at UNOC3

Explore our UNOC3 Sessions
  • Thursday, 12 June
  • 14:00–15:15
  • Room 5, UNOC3 Blue Zone

From June 9 – 13 2025, the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), co-hosted by the governments of France and Costa Rica, will take place in Nice, France. This year, the conference will focus on the theme “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean”.

Global Fishing Watch will be in Nice, as part of international efforts to strengthen implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 (Life Below Water) and advance the crucial 30×30 target – protecting 30% of our ocean by 2030. We will be present throughout the conference, hosting and participating in side events focused on transparency, data-driven solutions and sustainable management of marine resources.

Ahead of the main conference, the One Ocean Science Congress (June 4–6) will take place in Nice. Global Fishing Watch’s chief scientist, David Kroodsma, will highlight how advances in vessel tracking technologies, especially AIS, can support marine protection, enhance enforcement and inform evidence-based policy.

Find out more about the official Ocean Action Panels at UNOC3

Blue graphic with a white fish and waves, labeled “14 Life Below Water,” above a map outline and the text “One Ocean Science Congress.” The image promotes ocean biodiversity, ocean conservation, and scientific collaboration.

Our event

  • Thursday, 12 June
  • 14:00–15:15
  • Room 5, UNOC3 Blue Zone

Harnessing Transparent Data to Enhance Marine Protection and Achieve 30×30

Join us at the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in France this June, where Global Fishing Watch will be hosting the official side event “Harnessing Transparent Data to Enhance Marine Protection and Achieve 30×30”.

As this year’s conference theme calls for “accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean,” our session brings together leading voices in policy, science, philanthropy and youth advocacy to deliver exactly that: action.

We’ll explore how transparent data, combined with effective digital tools, can help governments, industry and communities enforce marine protections, restore biodiversity and sustain coastal livelihoods. These are all crucial steps in meeting the 30×30 goals, which aim to conserve 30 percent of the ocean by 2030 – especially areas important to biodiversity.

Our speakers will also examine the role of open data in implementing the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, as well as in strengthening ocean governance to ensure greater accountability for what happens at sea.

Why it matters

At Global Fishing Watch, we believe that transparency is essential to protecting our oceans, and through our cutting edge technology and use of open-access data we’re helping build a future where better marine protection is not just possible, but measurable, enforceable and equitable.

Our session will highlight practical and actionable pathways to support ocean conservation while ensuring a sustainable fisheries sector. It will also call for greater action at all levels to ensure countries are able to meet biodiversity goals and conserve the ocean for future generations.

To find out more about our plans for UNOC3, please get in touch with Joanna Buckley, Senior Advisor, International Policy at: [email protected]

Event banner with a school of fish underwater on the right and event details on the left: Harnessing Transparent Data to Enhance Ocean Biodiversity and Achieve 30x30, June 12, 2025, by Global Fishing Watch.

Confirmed speakers from:

  • Tony Long, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Global Fishing Watch
  • Jonathan Kelsey, Director, Bloomberg Ocean Fund
  • Dr. Miguel Bernal, Executive Secretary, General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean
  • Dr. Arnoldo André, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship, Government of Costa Rica
  • Rita Maria el Zaghloul, Director, High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People
  • Camille Jean Pierre MANEL, Executive Secretary, International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
  • Cristopher Avalos Castillo, Fellow, Sustainable Ocean Alliance
  • Director, Galapagos National Park, Ecuador
Logos of organizations and initiatives including Bloomberg Philanthropies Ocean Initiative, ICCAT, GFCM, Global Fishing Watch, SOA, High Ambition Coalition, Parque Nacional Galápagos, and the flag of Costa Rica.

With support from:

Logo of Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy featuring a teal and blue circular abstract design above the words Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy in bold, capitalized letters.

Other events

Transparency, will and progress: The pillars of action and the IUU-AA journey so far

  • June 11
  • 17:30 - 18:45
  • Room 1, UNOC3 Blue Zone

An interactive panel focusing on the importance of transparency and political will in driving the counter IUU fishing agenda.

Towards a regional front to reduce the risk of collisions between maritime ships and whales in the Eastern Pacific

  • June 10
  • 15:45 - 17:00
  • Room 3, Blue Zone

The event will showcase initiatives to protect the humpback whale migration route and reduce the risk of ship collisions, promoting a regional front in the Eastern Pacific.

Monitoring, control and surveillance of future high seas MPAs: opportunities and challenges

  • June 11
  • 15:00-16:00
  • IOC-OFB "Beyond Borders - Ocean Literacy & Conservation" Pavilion, Green Zone

Building on the momentum for ratification and entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement, this event aims to highlight how the Agreement’s implementation can catalyze action for the achievement of SDG14.

Explore our biodiversity tool: Marine Manager

A map of the Pacific Ocean region shaded in colors, likely representing sea surface temperatures or ocean currents, with warmer tones near the equator and cooler tones near the poles.

Developed in partnership with Dona Bertarelli, Marine Manager is an innovative technology portal that seeks to improve insight into marine protected areas. By monitoring the quality, efficiency and impact of long-term protections, Marine Manager aims to ensure robust and science-based management of protected areas and in acknowledgement of the vital contributions they make to our ocean.

Why does transparency matter?

Transparency is essential to promoting sustainable ocean governance and mitigating against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Through clear data-sharing practices such as vessel tracking, public registration, identification, ownership disclosure and reporting of transshipment activity, governments, industry and small-scale fishers can foster accountability, strengthen policy decisions and uphold human rights at sea. Transparency helps inform science-based management, facilitates regional cooperation, and contributes to the long-term conservation of marine resources.

Explore our infographics to understand how transparency standards can revolutionize fisheries oversight and empower better outcomes for people and the planet.

Illustration of various fishing vessels at sea, a satellite above, and marine life underwater. Text highlights how ocean transparency leads to improved policies, better collaboration, and effective marine resource conservation.
Transparency offers a new approach to the way the ocean is both monitored and managed, unlocking information that can help drive fairer and smarter policies for all stakeholders. © 2024 Global Fishing Watch
An illustrated infographic shows fishing vessels at sea alongside six steps for ocean transparency in fisheries: tracking, transshipment, identification, authorization, ownership, registration, policies, and compliance. Logo: Global Fishing Watch.
Transparency helps support sustainable and healthy fisheries through better accountability of information, activities and decision-making. © 2024 Global Fishing Watch

Our success stories: 30x30 on the ground

A world map showing 2023 vessel tracks visiting offshore oil facilities; orange lines indicate interactions with FxO, green lines with fixed oil infrastructure. Vessel tracks are concentrated near coasts and major port regions.

Digital Eyes on the Ocean: How vessel tracking can support the 30×30 goal

As the 10th Our Ocean Conference discusses the future of digital oceans, Global Fishing Watch’s Tony Long and Paolo Domondon renew their call for a binding vessel tracking mandate to help deliver on the promise of 30×30.

A lush, green, tree-covered island rises from calm blue ocean waters under a partly cloudy sky, with a small waterfall visible on the left hillside.

Marine Manager Supports Effective Management of Cocos Island National Park

Costa Rica harnesses Global Fishing Watch technology to help reduce illegal fishing and improve the management of a vast marine protected area.

Science magazine cover with a soft, blurred blue-gray background and the word Science in large white letters, along with the AAAS logo above.

Ship collision risk threatens whales across the world’s oceans

The University of Washington revealed in a study using Global Fishing Watch data that fewer than 7 percent of global hotspots for whale and ship collisions have protection measures in place.

A white lighthouse stands on a rocky, dry coastal cliff overlooking a calm blue sea under a clear sky. Sparse vegetation covers the hillside, and a narrow path leads down to the lighthouse.

Global Fishing Watch Analysis Helps Establish Fisheries Restricted Area in Otranto Channel

Albania leads efforts to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems in Mediterranean waters.

Learn more about our work on transparency and biodiversity :

Transparency

By embracing transparency, governments and authorities have a more cost-effective way of monitoring vessels, allowing fishers to demonstrate compliance rather than requiring the country to prove illegality.
Learn More

Biodiversity

Safeguarding marine biodiversity not only supports a healthy environment but also contributes to the wellbeing of societies and economies — food provision, identities, livelihoods and more. 

Learn More
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