UN Ocean Treaty Protecting 10 Million Species Takes Effect

The world's oceans just got a powerful new defender.

After years of negotiation, the UN High Seas Treaty officially takes effect Saturday, bringing legal protection to an astonishing stretch of ocean covering two-thirds of our planet. The treaty shields up to 10 million species, many scientists haven't even discovered yet.

Eighty-one governments have already written the agreement into their national laws. The list includes island nations like Palau, Cuba, and the Maldives, whose futures depend on healthy oceans, plus economic powerhouses like China, Germany, Japan, France, and Brazil.

The treaty covers what scientists call the high seas, the vast international waters beyond any country's borders. These waters teem with life, from microscopic plankton to massive whales, all connected in ways researchers are only beginning to understand.

"The High Seas are full of life, from tiny plankton all the way up to the great whales that rely on them," said Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance. "We're only just beginning to understand how important this vast, interconnected world is for the health of our entire planet."

The agreement gives countries binding rules to conserve marine life, share ocean benefits fairly, create protected areas, and fund scientific research. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called it "a lifeline for the ocean and humanity" as waters face mounting threats from climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

The speed of adoption has surprised many observers. In total, 148 countries representing more than three-quarters of all UN member states have signed since the treaty's adoption in June 2023.

The Ripple Effect

This treaty does more than protect fish and whales. Healthy oceans regulate our climate, produce oxygen, and feed billions of people worldwide.

The protected areas will safeguard underwater mountains, deep-sea plains and trenches, icy polar waters, and the migration highways that sea creatures travel across thousands of miles. Scientists will finally have tools to study these remote ecosystems and understand their role in planetary health.

Countries that signed but haven't ratified yet aren't legally bound, but they're expected to avoid activities contradicting the treaty's goals. The United States, United Kingdom, India, and Russia remain among the holdouts, though they've committed not to undermine the agreement's objectives.

For ocean advocates who've fought for decades to protect international waters, Saturday marks a historic turning point in humanity's relationship with the sea.