The European Union has announced a new ocean conservation package worth more than €338 million at the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, but conservation leaders say the real challenge is no longer making promises—it’s turning them into action.
The conference, held for the first time in Africa, brought together governments, environmental organizations, scientists, and industry representatives to address some of the most pressing threats facing the world’s oceans, including climate change, biodiversity loss, overfishing, and marine pollution.
The EU’s latest commitment will support projects focused on marine biodiversity, sustainable fisheries, climate resilience, scientific research, and maritime security. The funding continues a trend of major financial commitments made at previous Our Ocean Conferences, where governments and organizations have collectively pledged billions of dollars toward ocean protection efforts.
Yet beneath the optimism surrounding new funding announcements, a more sobering message emerged from the conference.
Despite thousands of conservation commitments made over the past decade, experts warned that only a small proportion of the world’s oceans currently enjoy strong, effective protection. Delegates repeatedly emphasized that many marine protected areas exist largely on paper, lacking the enforcement, monitoring, and resources needed to deliver meaningful conservation outcomes.
For divers, that distinction matters.
Healthy reefs, thriving fish populations, and resilient marine ecosystems are not created by declarations alone. They depend on effective management, enforcement against illegal fishing, protection of critical habitats, and long-term investment in marine science.
The conference also highlighted the importance of the High Seas Treaty, which entered into force earlier this year. The agreement creates a legal framework for establishing protected areas in international waters for the first time, potentially opening the door to conservation measures far beyond national coastlines.
Many of the world’s most iconic dive destinations are already experiencing the effects of warming oceans, coral bleaching, pollution, and declining fish populations. While new funding commitments are welcomed by conservation groups, delegates stressed that the coming years will determine whether governments can move beyond announcements and deliver measurable improvements in ocean health.
For the diving community, the message from Kenya was clear: the money is important, but success will ultimately be judged by what divers see underwater.
If marine life rebounds, reefs recover, and protected areas become genuinely protected, the investment could represent a significant step forward for ocean conservation. If not, it risks becoming another headline in a growing list of unfulfilled promises.
The challenge facing governments is no longer deciding whether the oceans need protection. It is proving that protection can actually be delivered.
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