Nice (France), June 11 : Plastic pollution is on the rise -- and even the world's most protected marine ecosystems are not immune. On the occasion of the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, Plastic Odyssey and UNESCO announced a landmark collaboration to clean up and restore the 50 UNESCO World Heritage marine sites.

This initiative also receives support from the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France. The cooperation agreement between Plastic Odyssey and UNESCO aims to replicate the operation carried out on Henderson Island at other World Heritage marine sites, among the most inaccessible and fragile on the planet. Each mission will focus on removing waste, collecting scientific data, developing educational programmes, and establishing sustainable, income-generating waste-management chains.

In the Whale Hall at UNOC in Nice, Audrey Azoulay, Director General, UNESCO, opened her speech with a strong message of support for Plastic Odyssey, whose work she has followed for several years. 'Plastic Odyssey and UNESCO will act together to reduce plastic pollution in World Heritage marine sites. During these expeditions, we will also support the creation of recycling channels that benefit local and indigenous communities,' said Azoulay.

In 2024, Plastic Odyssey carried out an unprecedented cleanup on Henderson Island, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage marine site in the South Pacific, collecting 9.3 metric tons of waste for processing. That mission sparked the birth of this new partnership. Other sites are under growing pressure, such as Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles, where the next on-the-ground mission is slated.

In October, a Plastic Odyssey team, supported by UNESCO staff, will travel there for a scouting and test phase: precise mapping of waste deposits, trials of extraction methods, and development of scientific monitoring protocols. This pilot campaign will lay the groundwork for larger-scale operations beginning in 2026. This marks a turning point in the fight against ocean plastic.

'For the first time, we're teaming up with UNESCO to launch unprecedented cleanup missions in some of the most remote and fragile marine sanctuaries on earth. These sites are ecological treasures -- and plastic traps. It's time to bring global attention and resources to places the world can't afford to ignore,' said Simon Bernard, co-founder and President, Plastic Odyssey.

Plastic Odyssey is an NGO committed to combating plastic pollution. Since 2022, its namesake vessel has sailed the world's oceans, promoting local recycling solutions in coastal regions hardest hit by waste.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)

/IANS