As nations of the world begin negotiating a declaration to be adopted at the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) this June, a Brock researcher hopes to draw attention to a need for advocacy for coastal and Indigenous peoples.

The Blue Justice Working Group, co-led by Associate Professor Jessica Blythe in the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, has developed draft text on “Supporting thriving ocean societies,” and is now collecting expressions of public support.

The group, funded by the French Foundation for Biodiversity Research, is made up of academics and experts from non-governmental organizations in more than a dozen countries.

At their most recent meeting in France this January, group members reviewed the zero-draft declaration and noted that while it emphasized a healthy ocean and sustainable economies, coastal communities needed better representation.

“The UNOC declaration is meant to align with the Sustainable Development Goals and the three core pillars of sustainability — the economy, the environment and society,” says Blythe. “Our group has been thinking deeply about the third pillar and were well positioned to draft some text to support the inclusion of the social pillar in the new declaration.”

Members of the Blue Justice Working Group at one of their biannual meetings in Montpellier, France. The group has published four papers since its formation in 2022.

Blythe says the “blue economy” has taken hold, but often without consideration of how it will affect those who have long relied on the ocean for their livelihood.

“Economic growth is lagging in a lot of terrestrial places, so now global economic powers are looking to the oceans to continue to grow our economies,” she says. “So, there is intensive investment in the blue economy and ocean economies, but it’s happening in a way that is really inequitable. For example, 10 corporations control half of global revenue generated by the ocean.”

The Blue Justice Working Group was formed in 2022, growing out of interests shared by Blythe, Duke University’s David Gill and French scientist Joachim Claudet, all of whom were concerned about the ability of coastal communities to support livelihoods, culture and economies.

“Some of their biggest challenges are climate change, which is changing the seascape, and the growing interest in the blue economy, which may boost economic growth but can also create huge risks and harms,” says Blythe. “By the year 2030, every country in the world has agreed to protect 30 per cent of their coastal spaces in marine protected areas in the interest of preserving biodiversity, and that can work well, but it can also be really hard on local communities if local people are excluded from decision-making and lose access to marine resources.”

Thanks to the transparent process with which the UNOC3 declaration is being developed, Blythe says that everyone now has an opportunity to have a say.

Anyone can express support for the draft text and endorse the importance of equitable local consultation when it comes to oceans and coastlines, but the signature-collection deadline of Thursday, Jan. 30 is fast approaching.

“The ocean is essential for everybody, even those of us in Niagara, even those of us who are landlocked. We’re still connected and benefiting from the ocean, whether from its biodiversity or its role in managing climate change,” says Blythe. “What our working group is trying to do is ensure those benefits are for everybody, and not just a few.”

Those interested can read the declaration and become a signatory to the draft text online.