The island’s commitment to ocean sustainability and international collaboration were highlighted when the public works and environment minister attended the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference.

Jaché Adams was accompanied at the event in Nice, France, by Tammy Warren, who attended as a representative of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

He held bilateral meetings with international counterparts, took part in strategic round table discussions and underscored Bermuda's marine conservation efforts, including the anticipated Marine Development Act, the Government said.

Mr Adams added: “This conference was not just about attendance, it was about presence and purpose.

“Bermuda is a small island, but we sit in a vast ocean that matters to the world.

“Our voice must be heard when global policies are being shaped.

“I was proud to speak for Bermuda and emphasise that our ocean is our future.”

A highlight for the Bermudian delegation was an engagement with officials from the Azores, who recently created Europe’s largest marine protected area network.

Talks focused on similarities in challenges faced and best practices in ocean governance.

Mr Adams said: “It is remarkable how connected our islands are, geographically and in ambition.

“The Azores and Bermuda are charting similar paths in marine protection and collaboration is essential.

“We are building bridges across the Atlantic that can serve our marine economies and ecosystems for years to come.”

Countries all over the world have promised to protect 30 per cent of the world's oceans by 2030, known as the 30x30 goal.

The aim is to establish a more connected environment of marine-protected areas that will help support ocean health, increase biodiversity and boost resilience against climate change.

“Bermuda's participation at UNOC bolsters ongoing efforts to formalise the Marine Development Act, which will provide the legislative framework to support the island’s ocean conservation efforts, including an ocean fund,” the Government said.

The Bermudian delegation also took part in sessions that examined ocean accounting, sustainable fisheries, mobilising finance for ocean conservation, the prevention and reduction of marine pollution, and the high seas treaty.

The Government said: “The conference also provided a platform for the Sargasso Sea Commission, which participated as part of its ongoing efforts to promote the conservation of the Sargasso Sea, a unique marine ecosystem surrounding Bermuda.”

Fae Sapsford, a marine research fellow at the SSC, attended as part of the commission's delegation.

She said: “It was really a key time for the commission at UNOC because of the recent adoption of the BBNJ agreement, a new treaty under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea focusing on the conservation and sustainable use of the high seas.

“The commission is in the unique position of having collaborated under a voluntary structure to conserve the Sargasso Sea for over a decade.

“Now we have this new agreement that brings exciting opportunities for internationally legally binding protection of high seas areas.

“We were able to share lessons learnt from the Sargasso Sea project at UNOC, which we hope will support the swift and effective implementation of the BBNJ agreement when it comes into force.”

The minister concluded his visit with a commitment to ensure that Bermuda will remain as a visible and active leader in the global marine space.

Mr Adams said: “When decisions are being made about the future of our ocean, Bermuda will not be absent. We will be present, engaged and leading from the front.”