This week, Greenpeace France took a stand and, in a valiant act of environmental activism, took matters into their own hands. At sunrise on Wednesday, May 21, activists aboard the Arctic Sunrise ship dropped 15 very large limestone boulders into the Mediterranean Sea, targeting a protected area off the coast of Occitania known as the Gulf of Lion Marine Park.

Carefully placed in a grid pattern on the ocean floor, each rock weighs between one and two tons. That is equivalent to a fully grown male White Rhino! The goal was to physically block bottom trawlers—large fishing vessels that drag heavy nets across the ocean floor, a practice that has devastating impacts on marine ecosystems.

This action is the latest effort in an ongoing campaign highlighting the French government’s inaction on marine conservation. Greenpeace is calling for a ban on bottom trawling in marine protected areas (MPAs) before France co-hosts the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC-3) in Nice in June.

The Gulf of Lion is a vital and diverse ecology in the Mediterranean, renowned for its rich biodiversity. There are magnificent habitats like Posidonia meadows, Coralligenous reefs, which support vulnerable marine life including gorgonians, sea cicadas and bluefin tuna. 

Although officially designated as a marine protected area, the region remains vulnerable to industrial fishing, which François Chartier, Oceans Campaigner at Greenpeace France, says undermines the very meaning of protection. “For several years now, France’s refusal to regulate destructive activities in its marine protected areas has been unanimously denounced by NGOs and numerous scientists,’ said François Chartier, Oceans Campaigner at Greenpeace France ‘The government still holds to an archaic vision of marine conservation and fishing. Agnès Pannier-Runacher refuses to comply with international standards on levels of protection in MPAs, preferring instead an unfounded “case-by-case” approach. The Minister must heed our request, which is also that of all ocean protection associations: she must ban bottom trawling in marine protected areas.”

This isn’t Greenpeace’s first move on the issue. In December 2024, the group exposed the presence of trawlers on the Bancs des Flandres, another protected zone. In April, it collaborated with CNRS to publish a report recommending a more meaningful and science-driven layout for MPAs across French waters. Now, by installing physical barriers in the form of boulders, Greenpeace is escalating its campaign to force the government’s hand.

Activists aboard the Arctic Sunrise displayed banners that read “The government doesn’t act, we do” and “Marine area protection in progress.” It served as a direct affirmation of France’s stated dedication to ocean protection.

A critical opportunity to protect our oceans

With the UNOC-3 just weeks away, France has a critical opportunity to protect our big blue planet. While President Emmanuel Macron has made bold international pledges—opposing deep-sea mining and supporting the High Seas Treaty—it’s time for those global ambitions to be ratified. To truly lead on ocean conservation, France must start by securing the health of its own marine environments.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific is also calling on newly elected Environment Minister Murray Watt to ratify the Global Oceans Treaty within the first 100 days of office. Furthermore, Greenpeace Australia Pacific would like Minister Watt to propose a world-first high seas marine protected area in the Tasman Sea. This aims to protect marine life, including blue sharks, from the harmful impacts of industrial fishing.If you would like to learn more about Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s involvement, you can do so here.

A Rock-Solid Stand for the Ocean: Greenpeace France Blocks Bottom Trawling