Nice, France – During the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC), Ministers from Panama and Canada today joined leaders from 35 other countries to launch the High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean, the first global political coalition dedicated to reducing harmful ocean noise pollution.
The launch of the Coalition underscores the growing international resolve to tackle ocean noise pollution as a key threat to marine biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. Underwater noise pollution from multiple sources – particularly the continuous noise from commercial shipping – negatively impacts marine life, interfering with their ability to communicate, navigate, and find food, threatening marine biodiversity at a planetary scale.
“Too often, the issue of ocean noise has been sidelined in global environmental discourse,” said Juan Carlos Navarro, Minister of Environment for Panama. “With this Coalition, we are committing to act decisively to protect marine biodiversity from this invisible yet powerful threat.”
Stéphane Dion, Canada’s Ambassador to France and Monaco, on behalf of Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, emphasized the urgency of collective action: “Ocean noise is a global issue that requires ambitious global cooperation. Through this Coalition, we are demonstrating Canada’s commitment to international leadership on ocean conservation and inviting our partners to join us in restoring a quieter, healthier ocean for future generations—while supporting sustainable economic activity.”
Ministers from around the world gathered on Tuesday to sign a Declaration that outlines the Coalition’s shared commitment to mitigate the growing threat of underwater noise and reduce impacts to marine life.
The Declaration outlines an ambitious agenda, including:
- Advancing quieter ship design and operations through new policies at the International Maritime Organization (IMO);
- Taking noise reduction measures into account in the creation and management of marine protected areas;
- Implementing solutions to reduce vessel noise and other shipping-related impacts on sensitive marine wildlife;
- Supporting capacity-building through shared tools and technologies, such as those from the IMO’s GloNoise Partnership.
(Photo from NOAA Fisheries)