Thousands marched under the burning sun on Saturday, 7 June 2025, along the long stretch of the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France, to celebrate World Ocean Day and to demand decisive action by governments to put the ocean at the centre of efforts to heal the planet and protect life ahead of the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) scheduled to start two days later.

Organised by a coalition of marine and environmental NGOs led by Brussels-based Seas At Risk, the march came only days after the announcement of the long heralded Ocean Pact by the European Commission. The fact that the pact was finally announced under time pressure and against the bitter opposition of several right-wing parties is certainly a step forward. As MEP Clergeau noticed in a later event at UNOC3, it opening and closure statements are in line with what advocates of a healthy ocean are working for, but the central part needs to be filled with concrete action to bring about such positive effects.

Mundus maris was present at the march and throughout UNOC3 with its five board members to add to the chorus in support of the UN motto for this year’s World Ocean Day: “Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us”!

Slogans to stop bottom trawling for good, particularly in marine protected areas could be seen with numerous marchers carrying cartons saying ‘Don’t touch my bottom’ – a pun lost on the most French onlookers, but firing up the atmosphere.

Marchers demonstrated a lot of creativity to advance their objective, from the jellyfish demonstrators concerned about fishing down the food web as less and less big fish populate ocean ecosystems and small opportunistic species survive more easily.

They reminded everybody that the ocean gives us half of the oxygen we breathe, that it stabilises our climate, and provides valuable food and a pathway for 90% of global commerce and countless jobs.  Yet we treat the ocean as if there was no tomorrow and we could extract more and more of the remaining resources and on top dump much of our garbage into it. Mundus maris warns: ” We are now facing a deepening crisis of  climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution exacerbating the injustices inflicted particularly on people and countries least responsible the world over. We therefore demand that the leaders gathering at the UN Ocean Conference make ambitious and binding commitments. The ocean has sustained us all along. Now it is our turn to sustain it. We need action.”

Solomon ‘Uncle Sol’ Kaho‘ohalahala, Hawaiian Elder, speaking at the closing event of the Blue March

In a world where bullying and transgression of established and generally accepted rules abound, the majority of considerate and cooperation-minded people risk being drowned out by the cacophony in social media bubbles and opportunistic politicians not living up to their mandate to keep people out of harm’s way.

It is thus all the more important to give a public and loud voice to all those standing for the ocean as a reminder that defending the public good is essential for livable futures. Standing together is the strength of ocean lovers and responsible ocean users.

At the end of the Blue March several personalities addressed those still gathered. Among them was the world champion freediver from Nice, Guillaume Néry. He said: “The Blue March is a powerful, peaceful, symbolic moment to make our voices heard before the arrival of Heads of State and diplomats, to express our hope and, above all, our anger. This summit must not be yet another stab in the dark. We are marching today to tell political and economic decision-makers: we’re out of time. Enough talking. The ocean doesn’t need fine words; it needs courage – political courage – and commitment.”

Ocean Rebellion band called ‘Seabed Slayers’ finished with an exclamation mark!

From the other end of the planet, Solomon ‘Uncle Sol’ Kaho‘ohalahala, Hawaiian Elder of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Advisory Council and Native Hawaiian Cultural Working Group spoke emotionally to the gathering. He evoked how respecting nature had served his people well and invited the crowd to do likewise, everyone in their context, but with determination.

Several other speakers spoke passionately in favour of ocean protection and peaceful cooperation going hand in hand. The performance of the band put together by Ocean Rebellion, called Seabed Slayers, ended the march with peppered songs and a boost of hope and human wits.