A landmark global agreement aimed at safeguarding the world’s oceans and reversing the degradation of marine ecosystems is poised to become international law.
The High Seas Treaty secured its 60th ratification on Friday, with Morocco’s endorsement triggering its entry into force in January.
The accord, the culmination of two decades of negotiations, will enable the establishment of marine protected areas in international waters.
Environmental advocates have lauded this milestone as a “monumental achievement,” demonstrating the potential for international collaboration in environmental protection.
“Covering more than two-thirds of the ocean, the agreement sets binding rules to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity,” stated United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Decades of unsustainable fishing practices, maritime pollution, and the impact of climate change have severely damaged marine life.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), their latest assessment indicates that nearly 10% of marine species are at risk of extinction.
In a commitment made three years prior, nations agreed to protect 30% of the world’s national and international waters – the high seas – by 2030 to facilitate the recovery of depleted marine life.
However, safeguarding the high seas presents a significant challenge due to the absence of single-nation control and the right of all nations to navigate and fish in these waters.
Currently, only 1% of the high seas are protected, leaving marine life vulnerable to overexploitation.
In response, nations signed the High Seas Treaty in 2023, pledging to designate 30% of these waters as Marine Protected Areas.
The treaty’s enforcement was contingent upon ratification by at least 60 nations, signifying a legally binding commitment.
Elizabeth Wilson, Senior Director for Environmental Policy at The Pew Charitable Trusts, noted at the UN Oceans Conference earlier this year that ratification often requires parliamentary approval, potentially extending the process beyond five years. She deemed this “record time.”
The UK presented its ratification bill to Parliament earlier this month.
Kirsten Schuijt, Director-General of the World Wide Fund for Nature, celebrated the treaty’s threshold achievement as “a monumental achievement for ocean conservation.”
She further stated, “The High Seas Treaty will be a positive catalyst for collaboration across international waters and agreements and is a turning point for two-thirds of the world’s ocean that lie beyond national jurisdiction.”
Mads Christensen, Executive Director of Greenpeace International, hailed it as “a landmark moment” and “proof that countries can come together to protect our blue planet.”
“The era of exploitation and destruction must end. Our oceans can’t wait and neither can we,” he added.
Upon the treaty’s implementation, nations will propose areas for protection, subject to voting by signatory countries.
Critics point out that countries will conduct their own environmental impact assessments and make the final decision – although other countries can register concerns with monitoring bodies.
The ocean is indispensable for the survival of all life on Earth, serving as the largest ecosystem, contributing an estimated $2.5 trillion to global economies, and generating up to 80% of the oxygen we breathe.
As tiny pieces of plastic clog our oceans, natural meadows of seagrass are bundling up microplastics and spitting them back out onto beaches in the form of “Neptune balls”.
The UK’s seas have had their warmest first seven months of the year on average since records began.
The catastrophe has turned South Australian waters toxic green and suffocated masses of marine life.
A showcase of marine technology includes a 3D-printed model of The Endurance shipwreck.
Environmental groups have praised government’s progress made on marine protection at the UN meeting