Nice, France – In retaliation against Greenpeace ahead of the UN Ocean Conference, the French authorities have blocked Greenpeace International's ship Arctic Sunrise from entering the port of Nice, where the "One Ocean Science Congress" then the UN conference are being hosted. This follows Greenpeace France highlighting the weaknesses of the French network of Marine Protected Areas last month in the Mediterranean sea, in an expedition on board the Arctic Sunrise.
Greenpeace International will write a formal letter of complaint to the United Nations, deploring the behaviour of the hosting French government. Civil society participation is a core element of the UN Ocean Conference.
Arctic Sunrise had been invited by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs to participate in the "One Ocean Science Congress" and in the Ocean wonders parade taking place right before the UN Ocean Conference. Greenpeace International had intended to deliver the messages of three million people calling for a moratorium on deep sea mining to the politicians attending the conference. The ship's entry to Nice has now been blocked.
Mads Christensen, Greenpeace International's Executive Director, said:
"The French authorities' attempt to silence fair criticism ahead of this UN Ocean Conference is clearly a political decision and is utterly unacceptable. Greenpeace and our ships have been working peacefully to protect the oceans for decades. The Arctic Sunrise highlighted the failure of the French government to properly protect its Marine Protected Areas – where bottom trawling is still permitted – and now we are being punished.
"France wants this to be a moment where they present themselves as saviours of the oceans while they want to silence any criticism of their own failures in national waters. We will not be silenced. We believe the voices of the three million calling for a stop to deep sea mining must be heard in Nice. Greenpeace and the French government share the same objective to get a moratorium on deep sea mining, which makes the ban of the Arctic Sunrise from Nice even more absurd."
Millions of people around the world have joined Greenpeace's campaign to stop deep sea mining from starting. In 2023, the Arctic Sunrise crew took action at sea to bear witness to the threat of the deep sea mining industry. They peacefully protested against The Metals Company, which had been publicly accused of "environmental piracy" by the French government a few weeks ago, given their attempt to bypass international law by requesting an exploitation permit through President Trump's administration.
This announcement, without any details, comes a few days after the official organiser of the maritime parade ("Ocean Wonders") told Greenpeace International that it was banned from participating with the ship MY Arctic Sunrise on 8 June . This was followed by formal confirmation that the French authorities would block Arctic Sunrise's access to the port of Nice.
The presence in Nice of Arctic Sunrise would coincide with the 40th anniversary of the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior by French secret services in Auckland, New Zealand. Photographer Fernando Pereira died in the attack. Greenpeace's flagship Rainbow Warrior had evacuated victims of American nuclear tests on Rongelap Atoll and was preparing to oppose French nuclear tests on Mururoa Atoll.
Following the first ever deep sea mining license application by The Metals Company to the United States, Greenpeace believes that now is the moment to resist and stop this industry from starting. This UN Ocean Conference will be a key moment to galvanise support ahead of the July meeting of the International Seabed Authority, the UN regulator.
