A landmark global agreement designed to protect the world’s oceans and reverse marine damage will soon become international law.
The High Seas Treaty reached its 60th ratification when Morocco approved it on Friday. The agreement will take effect in January.
The deal, two decades in the making, will allow international waters to be designated as marine protected areas. Environmentalists called the milestone a “monumental achievement” and proof that countries can unite for environmental protection.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of the ocean and sets binding rules to conserve marine biodiversity sustainably.
Oceans under Pressure
Decades of overfishing, shipping pollution, and warming oceans from climate change have damaged marine life. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reported that nearly 10% of marine species face extinction.
Three years ago, countries agreed to protect 30% of the world’s national and international waters by 2030 to help depleted marine life recover. Protecting the high seas poses challenges, as no single country controls these waters and all nations have rights to fish and ship there.
Currently, only 1% of the high seas enjoy protection, leaving marine life vulnerable to overexploitation.
High Seas Treaty and Ratification
In 2023, countries signed the High Seas Treaty, committing to protect 30% of these waters through Marine Protected Areas. The treaty could only take effect after 60 nations ratified it, legally binding them to its rules.
Elizabeth Wilson, senior director for environmental policy at The Pew Charitable Trust, said many nations require parliamentary approval, which can take over five years. She described the treaty’s ratification as “record time.” The UK introduced its ratification bill earlier this month.
Global Response
Kirsten Schuijt, director-general of the World Wide Fund for Nature, called the treaty a monumental achievement for ocean conservation. She said it will act as a positive catalyst for international collaboration and marks a turning point for two-thirds of the ocean beyond national control.
Mads Christensen, executive director of Greenpeace International, described it as a landmark moment and proof that nations can unite to protect the planet. He added, “The era of exploitation and destruction must end. Our oceans can’t wait and neither can we.”
Implementation and Future Steps
Once the treaty takes effect, countries will propose areas to be protected, which will then be voted on by treaty signatories. Critics note that nations will perform their own environmental assessments and make the final decision, although other countries can register concerns with monitoring bodies.
The ocean plays a crucial role in sustaining life. It is the planet’s largest ecosystem, contributes an estimated $2.5 trillion to global economies, and produces up to 80% of the oxygen humans breathe.
