(Ecofin Agency) - Nice Summit :

• UN Ocean Conference in Nice seen as last chance to reverse overfishing trends by 2030
• Morocco emerges as key player amid collapsing stocks, regional inaction, and looming EU sanctions

In June, the French city of Nice will host the third United Nations Ocean Conference. For diplomats, it’s another event on the multilateral agenda. But for scientists, fishermen, industry players, and coastal states, it may be the final opportunity to prevent the ocean from being emptied of its life-sustaining promise by 2030. Co-organized by France and Costa Rica, the summit is part of the “UN Decade of Ocean Science” and is expected to bring ambitious pledges on high seas protection, plastic pollution reduction, and blue economy financing.

The conference comes at a time of severe fish stock depletion, especially in small pelagics such as sardines and sardinella. Since the Lisbon summit in 2022, commitments have done little to slow the fishing frenzy. Warning signs abound: collapsing artisanal catches in Senegal, vanishing species, and rising tensions between local fishermen and industrial fleets. This time, declarations of intent will no longer suffice. African countries are demanding concrete, enforceable, and well-funded mechanisms.

West Africa under pressure: overfishing, climate shifts, and flag rivalries

Senegal epitomizes a broken model. In just two decades, artisanal sardine catches have plunged by nearly 90%, from over 60,000 tons in 1994 to less than 7,500 tons in 2017. This dramatic drop is driven by excessive fishing pressure and the climate-induced northward shift of fish spawning grounds, now beyond the reach of small boats. Added to these environmental and climate pressures is fierce competition between local fleets and foreign vessels—European, Russian, and Chinese. Although these often operate legally, they are straining already overexploited resources.

In West Africa, where 34% of fish stocks are now overfished, the region has become a front line in the battle for dwindling marine resources. Without regional coordination, transparency on catches, or harmonized no-fishing zones, the trajectory points toward irreversible depletion within a decade. Attempts at cooperation have so far been timid, hampered by lack of leadership, funding, and political will. Yet scientists convened by IFREMER and the FAO agree: joint stock management and firm measures—seasonal moratoriums or shared quotas—could still make a difference. But diverging national interests, economic urgency, and geopolitical fragmentation make progress daunting. One country, however, is now drawing close attention: Morocco.

Morocco’s fisheries ambition faces economic and ecological headwinds

Over the past two decades, Morocco has heavily invested in its blue economy, emerging as a regional fisheries powerhouse. The coastal zone stretching from Laâyoune, Boujdour, and Dakhla now account for over 80% of the country’s landed volumes, according to La Vie Éco. Dakhla hosts a full maritime ecosystem: refrigerated vessels, processing plants, modern landing sites, logistics hubs, and a network of export-oriented SMEs. Around 14,000 direct jobs depend on it, not to mention thousands more in transport and logistics.

But this success story faces two vulnerabilities. First, the resources are clearly dwindling: pelagic catches fell by 25% in Q1 2025, and observers warn of growing stress on sardine and mackerel stocks. Second, the threat of a trade dispute with the European Union looms large. Following a 2024 European Court of Justice ruling challenging the inclusion of Western Sahara waters in EU-Morocco fisheries deals, Rabat fears the EU may impose tariffs on Moroccan seafood exports. A decision expected this autumn could erase industry profit margins and send shockwaves through the sector.

Adding to the challenge is a fundamental policy question: should Morocco continue to allow fishing within the six-nautical-mile zone—where many pelagic species spawn on the shallow continental shelf? Some experts are calling for a temporary moratorium, as Mauritania has done, to help replenish stocks. Others argue that a unilateral move would be too costly without regional alignment. Yet Morocco’s leadership in Nice could be decisive. Thanks to its processing capacity, export weight, and regulatory know-how, Rabat is uniquely positioned to set a new benchmark for the West African coast.

Nice, then, is more than just another summit. For Atlantic Africa, it may be the last real chance to reclaim control of its fisheries future.