“World uniting around ocean protection” as high seas treaty hits 100

New York: “The world is uniting around ocean protection even in divided times,” campaigners said this week, as the number of nations to ratify the High Seas Treaty reached 100.

Australia, Brunei, Canada, Germany, Papua New Guinea and Zimbabwe are the latest countries to ratify the treaty, which entered into force in January. It provides the world’s first legal framework to conserve life on the high seas, which covers nearly half the planet’s surface.

Currently, less than 1% of international waters are fully protected.”In many cultures, the number 100 carries real weight – whether it is a marker for age, an anniversary, or a symbol of luck and prosperity. For the High Seas Treaty, it marks the real momentum of the world uniting around ocean protection, even in divided times,” said Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance.

Hubbard called on more countries to ratify, and urged those that have done so to turn the “wave of support into real decisions.”