Namibia Joins Global Call to Action at UN Ocean Conference 2025
Sunny Imalwa | June 12th, 2025 | News
This week, Angus Middleton, Executive Director of the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF), is representing Namibia on the world stage at the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (9-13 June 2025), joining leaders, scientists, and civil society actors in advancing the global agenda for ocean sustainability.
Namibia is internationally recognized as a leader in terrestrial conservation, with over 40% of its land under formal conservation management and a globally respected model of community-based natural resource governance. However, the same level of protection and coordinated management has yet to be extended to our ocean.
Namibia’s marine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), one of the largest in Africa, remains largely unprotected. Less than 2% of it falls under formal protection through the Namibian Islands Marine Protected Area (NIMPA). Established in 2009, NIMPA was a major milestone for marine conservation in Southern Africa, yet it still lacks an adopted management plan more than a decade later.
The consequences are becoming increasingly visible. Populations of African Penguins, Cape Gannets, and Bank Cormorants (once abundant along Namibia’s coast), are in worrying decline. These iconic seabirds are ecological indicators of broader ocean health, and their decline signals systemic stress in marine ecosystems.
As the world looks to the ocean for climate solutions and economic resilience through the blue economy, Namibia must rise to meet this moment. A science-driven, coordinated approach to marine conservation is essential, not only to protect biodiversity but also to secure sustainable livelihoods, fisheries, and our national environmental legacy.
NNF is proud to support this effort and to advocate for meaningful progress in marine protection. The ocean sustains life on Earth, and Namibia has the opportunity and responsibility to lead in safeguarding it.
To read more about the conversations taking place at UNOC3—including Angus Middleton’s contribution as part of a powerful panel hosted by WILDOCEANS visit this LinkedIn post by WILDTRUST.
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