UN talks urge faster steps to secure ‘critical’ ocean health

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — A United Nations conference has warned that measures needed to protect the world’s oceans are lagging and has urged countries to accelerate their implementation. Senior officials, scientists and activists from more than 120 countries attended a five-day U.N. Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal. A declaration published on the final day Friday said delegates were “deeply alarmed by the global emergency facing the ocean.” They say ocean sustainability is “critical” for the planet. The declaration said that “action is not advancing at the speed or scale required to meet our goals.” It concluded that “greater ambition is required.”