Historic High Seas Treaty Set to Transform Ocean Conservation

Sun Oct 12 2025 20:49:34 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A major milestone in ocean conservation is reached as the High Seas Treaty receives its 60th ratification, paving the way for international protections for marine biodiversity from January 2025.

The High Seas Treaty, aimed at protecting the world’s oceans, has officially received enough ratifications, with Morocco being the 60th nation to sign on. This significant agreement will take effect in January 2025, allowing 30% of the high seas to be designated as Marine Protected Areas. Environmentalists praise this treaty as a monumental achievement in collaborative action against marine degradation, which has been exacerbated by overfishing, pollution, and climate change.

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, according to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Decades of overfishing, pollution from shipping, and warming oceans due to climate change have damaged marine life. Nearly 10% of marine species are at risk of extinction, as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In a bid to tackle this issue, countries committed to protecting 30% of the world’s national and international waters — the high seas — by 2030.

However, currently, just 1% of the high seas are protected. In 2023, an international agreement was signed, pledging to establish Marine Protected Areas in the high seas, which can only come into force after ratification by more than 60 nations.

Elizabeth Wilson, senior director for environmental policy at the Pew Charitable Trusts, noted that typically, such ratifications can take more than five years, but this was done in record time. The UK introduced its bill for ratification to Parliament earlier this month.

Once the treaty comes into force, countries will begin proposing areas to be protected, which will then be voted on by the nations that have signed the treaty. Though there is some criticism regarding countries conducting their own environmental impact assessments, this treaty marks a critical step towards safeguarding our oceans.

The ocean is vital for life on earth, serving as the largest ecosystem, contributing an estimated $2.5 trillion to the global economy, and producing up to 80% of the oxygen we breathe.