09/06/2025

MONDAY | JUNE 9, 2025

7 Summit takes on overfishing, pollution

o Nations feud over deep-sea mining

centre on land transformed into the cavernous belly of a whale. Macron will host leaders ahead of the summit’s formal opening today. Conservationists have warned the summit, which will not produce a legally binding agreement, risks being a talk fest unless leaders come armed with concrete proposals for restoring marine health. Chief among these is securing the missing finance to get anywhere near protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, a globally agreed target. “We’ve created this sort of myth that governments don’t have money for ocean conservation,” said Brian O’Donnell, director of Campaign for Nature. “There is money. There is no political will.” So far, only around 8% of oceans are designated marine conservation zones and even less are considered truly protected. Greenpeace says at this rate, it could take another 82 years to reach the 30% goal. In a boost last week, Samoa declared 30% of its national waters under protection with the creation of nine new marine parks. Conservationists hope others at Nice follow suit. “All eyes should be on the many Pacific leaders attending ... Their

NICE: World leaders descended on the French Riviera yesterday ahead of a high-level summit to tackle a deepening crisis in the oceans driven by overfishing and pollution. The United Nations says oceans face an “emergency” and leaders gathering in Nice will be under pressure to commit much-needed money and stronger protections for the ailing seas and the people that depend on them. The UN Ocean Conference must try to turn a corner as nations feud over deep-sea mining, plastic litter and exploitative fishing, against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions. Some 50 heads of state and government are expected to attend, including Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his Argentine counterpart Javier Milei. French President Emmanuel Macron was scheduled to sail to Nice from Monaco, where he is attending a related event. He will be joined on the shimmering Mediterranean Sea by other vessels in a colourful maritime parade, before touring an exhibition

Protesters taking part in the Blue March in Nice on Saturday. – AFPPIC

Ouest-France newspaper that bottom trawling would be restricted in some national marine protected areas. Inching closer towards the numbers required to ratify a global treaty on harmful fishing subsidies, and another on high seas protection, will also be a summit priority. France is spearheading a separate

ambition and dedication to ocean protection can serve as inspiration to all countries,” said Kevin Chand from the non-profit group Pristine Seas. There has also been a concerted push for nations to ban bottom trawling, a destructive fishing method that scrapes the ocean floor. On Saturday, Macron told the

push to gain support for a moratorium on deep-sea mining ahead of a meeting of the International Seabed Authority. An expert scientific panel will hand Macron a list of recommendations for leaders at the summit, including pausing seabed exploration. – AFP

Taiwan coast guard trains to face ‘grey zone’ threat KAOHSIUNG: Taiwan’s coast guard held drills with the military yesterday to better handle joint operations in the face of what the government in Taipei says is a growing “grey zone” threat from China, which claims the island as its own territory. intrusion from China, but our coast guard colleagues have always been on the front line to enforce the law and protect the lives and safety of the people of Taiwan,” Lai told the audience for the drills, which included the top US diplomat in Kaohsiung, Neil Gibson.

Indian state orders curfew

IMPHAL: An Indian state riven by ethnic tensions imposed an internet shutdown and curfew after protesters clashed with security forces over the arrest of some members of a radical group, police said yesterday. Manipur in India’s northeast has been rocked by periodic clashes for more than two years between the Meitei majority and the Kuki community that have killed more than 250 people. The latest violence was triggered on Saturday after reports of the arrest of five members, including a commander, of Arambai Tenggol, a radical Meitei group. Mobs demanding their release stormed a police post, set fire to a bus and blocked roads in parts of the state capital Imphal. Police announced a curfew in five districts, including Imphal West and Bishnupur, due to the “developing law and order situation”. “Prohibitory orders have been issued by district magistrates. Citizens are requested to cooperate with the orders,” the police said in a statement. Arambai Tenggol, which is alleged to have orchestrated the violence against the Kuki community, has also announced a 10-day shutdown in the valley districts. The state’s Home Ministry has ordered all internet and mobile data services in volatile districts to be shut off for five days to bring the latest unrest under control. Internet services were shut down for months in Manipur during the initial outbreak of violence in 2023, which displaced around 60,000 people from their homes according to government figures. Thousands of the state’s residents are still unable to return home owing to tensions. – AFP

“The government will continue to consolidate the strength of all departments and strengthen the resilience of the entire society to defend national security and safeguard Taiwan’s democracy and freedom,” Lai said. Taiwan’s coast guard, which would be pressed into military service in the event of war with China, is also routinely sent out to shadow Chinese ships during Beijing’s war games around the island. The coast guard, like the navy, is in the midst of an expansion and modernisation programme. Its new Anping -class corvettes, which was commissioned in 2020, are based on the navy’s Tuo Chiang class warships. They are state-of-the-art, highly manoeuvrable stealth vessels meant to take out larger warships while operating close to Taiwan’s shores.

Democratically governed Taiwan has repeatedly complained about activities such as undersea cable cutting and sand dredging by China around the island, designed to pressure it without direct confrontation. It is often Taiwan’s coast guard that scrambles first to respond. The drills in the southern port city of Kaohsiung, overseen by President Lai Ching-te, simulated the seizing of a ferry by “international terrorists”. The coast guard worked with an Interior Ministry rescue helicopter and army medevac helicopter to board and take back control of the boat and evacuate casualties. A navy anti-submarine helicopter flew over the scene as the drill ended, along with the medevac and rescue helicopters, the first time they have flown together in such a scenario, the coast guard said. “Taiwan has been facing grey

Elite coast guard personnel board a ‘hijacked’ vessel near Kaohsiung. – AFPPIC

The Anping -class ships, one of which took part in the drill, have space for launchers for the Taiwan made Hsiung Feng anti-ship and sea to-land missiles, as well as added

equipment for rescue operations. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying only the island’s people can decide their future. – Reuters

UK, India discuss anti-terror cooperation NEW DELHI: Britain and India on Saturday discussed expanding their “counter-terrorism” collaboration following recent fighting between India and Pakistan, Britain’s foreign minister said after meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. neighbours agreed to a ceasefire last month after their worst fighting in nearly three decades. “We want the situation to be maintained, but of course we recognise fragility, particularly in the backdrop of terrorism, terrorism designed to destabilise India,” Lammy said at the residence of the British High Commissioner in Delhi. “We are keen to continue to work Foreign Minister David Lammy is the highest-profile Western official to have visited New Delhi and Islamabad since the South Asian

boosting trade between the world’s fifth and sixth largest economies. The countries concluded talks for a free trade deal early last month. “I know that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is very much looking forward to coming to India very soon to sign the free trade agreement. There is so much that our two nations can continue to do together,” Lammy said. – Reuters

with our Indian partners on counter terrorism measures.” He said he discussed the next steps with both Modi and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar. Last year, India and Britain discussed combating the financing of terrorism, cooperation between law enforcement and judicial bodies and information sharing. Lammy said he also discussed