Ocean Panel member Kenya staged an impressive event in Mombasa which saw a record breaking 5,000 participants including heads of state, ministers, scientists, Indigenous leaders, youth representatives, business executives and civil society organizations. This year’s edition also included an Executive Business and Investment Forum and a Research Symposium as part of the conference for the first time.
As the first Our Ocean Conference to be held in Africa, ithighlighted the leadership of Ocean Panel countries in driving ambitious, measurable action for a sustainable ocean economy. Across the Conference’s six action areas, Ocean Panel members announced major commitments from expanding marine protected areas and strengthening sustainable fisheries management, to investing in ocean science and building resilience in coastal communities.
Below are several high-impact Ocean Panel commitments announced during the Conference expected to deliver significant benefits:
Strengthening Ocean Science in the Southern Ocean
los Government of Australia announced an additional $65.9 million over four years to support Antarctic and Southern Ocean marine science. The investment will strengthen scientific understanding of one of the world’s most important and climate-sensitive marine regions.
Expanding Marine Protected Areas
los Brazilian Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) committed to increasing Brazil’s Marine Protected Area coverage by approximately 240,000 square kilometres over the next five years, advancing national conservation ambitions and supporting marine biodiversity.
los Government of Portugal announced the creation of the D. Carlos Marine Reserve, a new protected area covering 173,000 square kilometres. The designation will increase the proportion of Portugal’s marine area under protection from 19 percent to 25 percent.
Meanwhile, the Government of Indonesia committed to evaluating the effectiveness of its 19.1 million hectares of marine protected areas by 2026, including assessments of both biophysical and socio-economic outcomes. The initiative will also strengthen capacity among assessors and local communities involved in marine conservation.
Investing in Resilient Coastal Infrastructure
los Government of Canada committed $682.7 million over five years through the Small Craft Harbours Program. The investment will repair, modernise, and strengthen the climate resilience of small craft harbour infrastructure, supporting coastal economies and fishing communities across the country.
Advancing Sustainable Fisheries
los Government of Kenya committed to installing electronic monitoring systems on all industrial and semi-industrial fishing vessels operating in its waters and equipping small-scale fishing vessels with Class-B Automatic Identification Systems (AIS). Backed by $200 million, the commitment aims to strengthen fisheries governance, transparency, and monitoring.
los Government of Norway announced an additional $4.3 million to strengthen fisheries management capacity in 32 partner countries through the FAO–Norway EAF-Nansen Programme, supporting sustainable fisheries and science-based management worldwide.
Following a successul Conference in Kenya, Canada will host the 12th OOC in Halifax, Nova Scotia in Spring 2027. As host, Canada plans to highlight Indigenous and community leadership in ocean protection and the sustainable blue economy. No OOC is planned for 2028, to avoid coinciding with the fourth UN Ocean Conference which will be co-hosted by the Republic of Korea and Chile that year. In 2029, Jamaica will the first OOC to be held in the Caribbean with plans to hold the conference in Montego Bay.
These successive Our Ocean Conference hosts reflect the leadership of the Ocean Panel’s membership in convening global action, fostering accountability and accelerating implementation of solutions that benefit both people and the ocean.
