Macron lied to the world about marine protection

Before declaring the President of a G7 nation lied about something, I had to be certain.

I spent the last few days reading every official statement, every press kit, every map.

On 8 June 2025, hours before the opening of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, President Emmanuel Macron claimed that France would drastically expand its “highly protected” marine zones. The promise: a jump from 0.1% to 4% of mainland French waters under strict protection by 2026, including a ban on bottom trawling.

The announcement made headlines, but the fine print told a different story.

Thanks to a rapid analysis by Association BLOOM, the expert NGO that fought for the original deep-sea trawling ban in Europe, it became clear that this was not a new measure at all. The so-called “new” protections apply almost exclusively to areas where bottom trawling has already been banned since January 2017 under European regulation.

No additional vessels will be removed. No new areas are being closed. Macron's claim was not just misleading. It was fraudulent.

“This is the most brazen greenwashing operation of the presidential term.”

- Swann Bommier, Advocacy Director, BLOOM

A Greenwashed Headline

France used the momentum of a global summit to repackage old protections for new political gain. The government’s own maps show that the sites referenced are not new. They have been listed for years as part of existing European frameworks. Macron’s team chose a moment of global attention to give the illusion of action.

Light green areas = new highly protected zones where bottom trawling will be banned. Red hatching areas = zones where bottom trawling has already been banned since 2017 under deep-sea fishing regulations.

BLOOM has described it as the most brazen greenwashing operation of Macron’s presidency. I share their view.

The announcement misled the public, distracted from the real threats to marine ecosystems and rewarded France with undeserved headlines. This is not how global conservation should work.

Bottom trawling alone is responsible for releasing over one gigatonne of CO₂-equivalent emissions each year, more than the entire global aviation sector.

It also kills everything in its path, flattening centuries-old coral reefs, destroying fish nurseries and turning biodiverse seafloor into ecological wastelands.

The Metrics That Matter

Real progress looks different. It means bottom trawlers removed. Industrial permits revoked. Destructive subsidies cut. Laws passed. Ecosystems recovering. Fisheries rebounding. Coastal communities strengthened.

Where This Leaves Us

Macron’s speech on 10 June will likely be remembered as the centrepiece of France’s UNOC presence. It has already been widely covered, but coverage is not change. Headlines are not protection.

This week has made one thing clear. The ocean does not need photo calls. It needs policy.

We cannot protect the sea by pretending. We cannot save it by renaming old promises.

We are running out of time. And the ocean is running out of patience.

Help cut through the spin

This story will not lead the evening news.

It should.

Greenwashing on the global stage must be called out, especially when it puts marine life, climate goals and public trust at risk.

If this piece helped clarify what really happened at UNOC, please share it widely.

Post it. Forward it. Tag a journalist. Send it to someone who still believes the ocean is being protected

…because behind every misleading headline, there is a quiet truth worth fighting for.

Let’s make sure it gets heard.

- Luke