Grace Williams looks into the United Nations treaty on ocean conservation, and how it could play a vital role in protecting marine biodiversity and oceans.
The Importance of Ocean Sanctuaries
Designating areas of the ocean as protected sanctuaries could prevent the over-exploitation of fish populations, which disrupts food chains and threatens marine ecosystems. Oceans are essential to sustaining life on Earth, acting as a carbon sink that absorbs excess heat and CO2 caused by industrial activity and unsustainable resource consumption.
The Impact on the High Seas
The ‘high seas’—open ocean areas beyond national jurisdictions—are increasingly affected by harmful activities such as deep-sea mining and industrial whaling. Despite global opposition, countries such as Norway, Iceland, and Japan continue commercial whaling under specific quotas, further endangering marine species hunting countries Norway, Iceland, and Japan still upholds the practice with some quota.
The Proposed UN Treaty
A proposed UN treaty aims to establish legally binding protections for the high seas, but it faces opposition from several nations, including major fishing and whaling countries, as well as the United States. Currently, most conservation laws are implemented at national or regional levels, with no unified international framework to safeguard global oceanic ecosystems.
If adopted, the treaty could help restore marine biodiversity and protect endangered species such as the bluefin tuna, whose population has plummeted to just 12% of its 1975 levels. In the Black Sea, bluefin tuna virtually disappeared in the 1980s and have yet to recover.
The Role of Sustainable Practices
Until stronger international protections are in place, the responsibility lies with governments, industries, and individuals to support sustainable fishing and reduce seafood consumption. Marine stewardship is essential to ensuring the ocean’s resources are preserved not only for humans but also for the diverse species that depend on them.
Unchecked pollution—such as oil spills, radioactive waste, and chemical discharge—further degrades marine habitats, with long-term consequences for the climate, biodiversity and oceans. Urgent action is needed to mitigate these threats before irreversible damage occurs.
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