The third United Nations Ocean Conference begins next week in Nice, France. UBC experts are attending and available to comment on related topics.

Dr. Juliano Palacios Abrantes
Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
Email: j.palacios@oceans.ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English, Portuguese and Spanish
Expertise: Climate change impacts in the oceans, marine fisheries, marine conservation
*Attending June 5-13

Dr. Philippe Le Billon
Professor, Department of Geography and School of Public Policy and Global Affairs
“I hope to see more governments committing to a ban or moratorium on deep sea mining and to ratify the WTO interministerial agreement on fisheries subsidies, and governments working together to coordinate a decline in fishing capacity and a move to reduce trawling activities.”
Email: Please email alex.walls@ubc.ca to organize interviews
Interview language(s): English, French
Expertise: Illegal fishing, ocean defenders, deep sea mining, maritime crimes
*Attending June 5-12

Dr. William Cheung
Professor and Director, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
“I hope to see governments take decisive action on the 10 recommendations from the One Ocean Science Congress, including building sustainable, equitable and safe ocean-based food systems, ending marine plastic pollution, and promoting safe and equitable ocean-based climate solutions.”
Tel: 604-827-3756
Email: w.cheung@oceans.ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English, Cantonese
Expertise: Oceans, fisheries, biodiversity, marine and coastal ecosystems, fisheries management, sustainable development
*Attending June 5-12

Dr. U. Rashid Sumaila (He/Him/His)
University Killam Professor, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and School of Public Policy and Global Affairs
“I’m expecting to see a big push to get 60 countries to ratify the Kunming-Montreal Agreement. We are currently at 28 countries. I can also see a similar push for the 2022 WTO on harmful subsidies. I personally will be arguing for making the high seas a ‘biodiversity bank’ for the world. My fear is that politicians will make big promises about protecting the oceans that they are either unwilling and/or unable to fulfil.”
Tel: 604-351-7406
Email: r.sumaila@oceans.ubc.ca
Interview languages: English, Hausa, Norwegian
Expertise: Blue economy, marine policy, fisheries subsidies, plastic pollution, deep sea mining
*Attending June 8-14

Dr. Amanda Vincent
Professor, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
“At the UN Ocean Conference, the world’s governments must bring problem fisheries under control, that sustainable fisheries may thrive. In particular, national leaders need to start phasing out destructive and non-selective fisheries, especially bottom trawling. Such fisheries are deeply threatening to marine species and habitats, impose great economic costs and cause great damage to coastal communities. Governments must tackle these sunset fisheries with determination, setting end dates and planning thoughtful but rapid transitions towards such goals.”
Email: a.vincent@oceans.ubc.ca
Interview languages: English, French
Expertise: Marine conservation, marine biodiversity, threatened marine species, seahorses, marine protected areas, bottom trawling, nonselective fisheries, destructive fishing, wildlife trade, CITES, small scale fisheries, IUCN Red List
*Attending June 6-14