In a historic move for ocean conservation, the High Seas Treaty, the world’s first legally binding agreement to protect marine life in international waters, has come into force. After nearly two decades of negotiations, the treaty, which has been ratified by 83 countries, including major maritime powers like China and Japan, will govern the vast ocean areas beyond any country’s control.
The treaty’s entry into force on Saturday marks a significant milestone, as it establishes a framework for creating Marine Protected Areas on the high seas, which make up about two-thirds of the world’s oceans. Currently, only around 1% of these international waters are protected, leaving them vulnerable to threats such as destructive fishing practices, shipping, plastic pollution, overfishing, and potential deep-sea mining, all exacerbated by the impacts of climate change.
Immediate obligations for ratifying countries include working together on ocean science and technology, as well as helping developing nations build capacity to participate in ocean governance. Companies planning activities that could harm marine life must also conduct environmental impact assessments that meet the treaty’s standards, and those conducting research on ocean organisms that could be used commercially, such as for new medicines, must notify other countries and share their findings.
Perhaps most significantly, countries must now promote the treaty’s conservation goals when they participate in other international bodies that regulate ocean activities, such as regional fisheries organisations, the International Maritime Organization, and the International Seabed Authority.
Conservationists warn that governments must act quickly to achieve the global goal of protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, a target that scientists say is critical for ocean health. As Megan Randles, the global political lead for Greenpeace’s Ocean Campaign, noted, “The marine protected areas under the treaty will only be as strong as the governments make them. We can’t trust big fishing industry players to simply stop fishing in these critical ecosystems. We need governments to use the treaty to force their hand.”
The details of how these protected areas will be monitored and enforced are still being worked out, with countries exploring various options, from satellite technology to coordinating patrols between multiple nations to using other UN agencies for oversight.
The United States, notably, has signed but not yet ratified the treaty, meaning it can participate as an observer but will not have voting rights. However, as Rebecca Hubbard, the director of the High Seas Alliance, pointed out, the treaty has “such incredibly broad and strong political support from across all regions of the world” that the US’s absence does not undermine its momentum.
Advocates emphasise that this broad support must now translate into rapid implementation, as the treaty represents a triumph of protecting nature and our global commons over political rivalries. As the oceans connect us all, the successful implementation of the High Seas Treaty could have far-reaching implications for the health and sustainability of our planet’s marine ecosystems.
