Firstly, we should explain what the ‘High Seas’ are. They refer to ocean which lies beyond 200 nautical miles of any country’s coastline, thereby meaning that they ‘belong’ to no-one and as such their governance and conservation is no-one’s responsibility. They represent a huge area, spanning more than 60% of the ocean’s entire surface, home to millions of species and entire migration pathways. Any country has the right to these waters and the resources they contain. As a consequence, the High Seas are home to mysterious and often exploitative goings-on, from piracy to deep sea fishing and mining to modern day slavery. If you want to read more about the high seas, we recommend Ian Urbina’s brilliant book, The Outlaw Ocean.
The result is that until very recently, the majority of the world’s ocean has lain beyond protection. In 2023, after five years of negotiations, the world’s governments agreed to a set of rules to regulate the use of the High Seas, known as the High Seas Treaty. This included agreements such as creating large-scale Marine Protected Areas and assessing the planetary impact of any activities such as industrial fishing or drilling. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to protect the largest part of the ocean, much of which has never been studied.
To date, 85 countries have ratified (committed to legally enforce) the Treaty, enough to make it international law. It was brought into force this January. The Treaty has not, however, been universally ratified – and there are notable outliers, including the UK and the US. Universal ratification would give greater support to the agreements, and mean that the responsibility of enforcing the Treaty would be shared across all nations.
One step you can take is to call on your MP to support the signing of the Treaty. We have included a draft letter below.
Dear…
I am writing to call for your help in protecting the High Seas – the international waters which cover more than half of the planet’s area. We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to do so.
The High Seas are international waters: 200 nautical miles beyond the shore of any country. So why care? This vast part of the ocean is home to over 270,000 known species – but estimates suggest the real number could be up to 10 million. This includes whales which can dive 2km deep to hunt giant squid, entire migration pathways of salmon and albatross, and animals we do not even know exist – but many of which will go extinct before we can discover them. As many as three billion people globally depend on the oceans for food, yet one third of the world’s fish stocks are overexploited. Furthermore, the High Seas are a carbon sink; the ocean stores 30% of humanity’s carbon emissions. These vital functions are dependent on the health and biodiversity of the ecosystem, which is under threat. For too long, the High Seas have been treated as an infinite resource, rather than being protected for the common good. This vast ecosystem has been ravaged by unregulated industrial fishing, mining, and modern-day slavery.
The Government’s recently published report, “National Security Assessment on Global Ecosystems” concluded that without urgent investment in the restoration and protection of nature, the UK faces a high risk to national security and prosperity, including extreme weather, outbreak of diseases, conflict over resources, and loss of food security. In a time of biodiversity and climate crises, the health of the High Seas is clearly interconnected with our future.
In 2023, governments around the world finally came together to agree to start protecting our shared oceans under the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty – or, The High Seas Treaty. The UK was a signatory to this treaty, but we have not yet ratified it. We are a noticeable outlier since it came into international law this January, especially given our commitment to science and climate resilience. Universal ratification provides stronger protection, sends a message, and spreads the responsibility of upholding the Treaty – which is ultimately in the interest of every person on the planet.
As your constituent, I am asking you do something for nature, for our future and that of the next generation, and urge the government to ratify the High Seas Treaty today.
Yours,
…
