Government of Canada attends the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3)

Press Release

June 13, 2025

Nice, France – Canada’s oceans are facing increasing impacts from climate change, including species decline, biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, harm from aquatic invasive species, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the effects from waste and other pollutants. In response to these challenges, Canada is collaborating internationally with maritime nations across the globe to better protect our oceans for present and future generations.

From June 9-13, Fisheries and Oceans Canada led the Canadian delegation at the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), which took place in Nice, France. During the Conference, Canada led on a series of events including:

An Ocean Action Panel co-chaired with Palau, leading thoughtful discussions on advancing sustainable ocean governance, conservation and responsible use of marine resources for our shared global oceans.
An Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Action Alliance (IUU-AA) event to reinforce the importance of transparency while improving efforts to govern, enforce and work with international partners to combat IUU fishing. As the current chair of the IUU Fishing Action Alliance, Canada recognizes the challenges of IUU fishing and its devastating impacts on fish stocks, ecosystems and economies around the world.
The launch of a High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean, co-led alongside Panama, which was endorsed by 35 other countries. This Coalition marks a significant global commitment to reduce ocean noise, a key threat to ecosystem health and marine biodiversity around the world.

Canada also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Kingdom to strengthen our long history of cooperation on the sustainable use of marine resources, ocean protection and preservation, and ocean science.

By continuing to collaborate with international partners to better understand the environmental changes we are seeing in the global ocean and create more economic opportunities for coastal and inland communities, Canada can help contribute to a more sustainable and prosperous blue economy for all.

Quotes

“Healthy oceans are vital to supporting the livelihoods of those that live near and rely on the ocean. I look forward to continuing our work with international partners to protect our oceans, the biodiversity within them, and the economic opportunities they bring for coastal communities across Canada and the world.”

The Honourable Joanne Thompson
Minister of Fisheries

“As a nation that borders on three oceans, Canada has a responsibility to protect our marine ecosystems for future generations. Through smart policies, innovative technologies, and close collaboration with coastal and Indigenous communities, we continue to take action to safeguard our waters. Protecting the ocean isn’t just an environmental priority—it’s essential to our economy, our way of life, and our shared future.”

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland
Minister of Transport and Internal Trade

“Canada has the longest coastline in the world. Protecting the ocean is crucial, and that is why our government is getting more involved than ever to protecting our lands, as well as our marine and coastal areas—including through the creation of new national marine conservation areas. These allow us to protect the ocean, while providing Canadians and visitors from around the world with the opportunity to get closer to it, learn more and have unforgettable experiences.”

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages

Quick facts

The Government of Canada is committed to protecting more of our marine biodiversity than ever before through the creation of new marine protected areas and other conservation initiatives. Canada also supports Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: protecting 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030. To date, Canada has conserved 15.54 per cent of Canada’s ocean, totaling 893,804 kilometres squared. Canada is also committed to supporting a high ambition agenda for ocean action, working towards a sustainable ocean economy based on effective protection, sustainable production, and equitable prosperity of our oceans.
In June 2022, Canada, alongside the United States and the United Kingdom launched the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Action Alliance (IUU-AA) at the UN Ocean Conference. This international network shares lessons learned and best practices that support the fight against IUU fishing. Canada is the current Chair of the Alliance.
It is estimated that IUU fishing accounts for about 30 per cent of all fishing activity worldwide, representing up to 26 million tonnes of fish caught annually at a cost to the global economy of more than $23 billion a year.
This week, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) launched its third annual high seas patrol to deter IUU fishing in the North Pacific, near the Aleutian Island chain. The mission, known as Operation North Pacific Guard, is led by DFO fishery officers with support from the Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to protect fish stocks under Canada’s Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative and Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.