International High Seas Treaty Set to Transform Ocean Conservation

Fri Sep 26 2025 15:53:56 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The landmark High Seas Treaty has achieved the necessary ratifications to become international law, heralding a new era for marine conservation efforts and sustainable use of ocean resources.

The High Seas Treaty, which aims to protect marine biodiversity and establish marine protected areas over two-thirds of the ocean, has received its 60th ratification, allowing it to come into force in January. Environmental leaders are celebrating this milestone as a pivotal moment in global efforts to address the challenges facing the oceans.

A global agreement designed to protect the world's oceans and reverse damage to marine life is set to become international law. The High Seas Treaty received its 60th ratification by Morocco on Friday, meaning that it will now take effect from January.

The deal, which has been two decades in the making, will pave the way for international waters to be placed into marine protected areas. Environmentalists heralded the milestone as a monumental achievement and evidence that countries can work together for environmental protection.

Covering more than two-thirds of the ocean, the agreement sets binding rules to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

Decades of overfishing, pollution from shipping, and warming oceans from climate change have damaged life below the surface. In the latest assessment of marine species, nearly 10% were found to be at risk of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Three years ago, countries agreed that 30% of the world's national and international waters must be protected by 2030 to help depleted marine life recover. But protecting the high seas is challenging. No one country controls these waters, and all nations have a right to ship and fish there.

Currently, just 1% of the high seas are protected, leaving marine life at risk of overexploitation. In 2023, countries signed the High Seas Treaty, pledging to put 30% of these waters into Marine Protected Areas.

With many nations requiring parliamentary approval, ratification can often take longer than five years. Elizabeth Wilson, senior director for environmental policy at The Pews Charitable Trust, noted that achieving this milestone was record time.

Kirsten Schuijt, director-general of the World Wide Fund for Nature, praised the treaty's milestone as a monumental achievement for ocean conservation. Meanwhile, Mads Christensen of Greenpeace International called it a landmark moment for international environmental efforts.

As the treaty comes into force, countries will propose areas for protection, with decisions made through voting among the signatories. Critics, however, have pointed out that such measures could be ineffective as each country conducts its own environmental assessments.

Ensuring the health of our oceans is crucial, not just for marine life, but for the overall well-being of the planet. The ocean is vital for all organisms, contributing approximately $2.5 trillion to the world economy and supplying up to 80% of the oxygen we breathe.