“Nobody’s waters” must become “everybody’s waters” for world leaders to reverse nature loss in the high seas, says WWF

WWF calls on UN member states to adopt, this year, a legally-binding global ocean treaty to protect marine life in currently underregulated high seas.

• This ocean treaty can add guardrails to protect nature from harmful activities like unsustainable fishing and deep sea mining.
• Fifty nations have pledged support for an ambitious and robust ocean treaty – what will it take to get remaining UN member states on board and what must this treaty look like?

UN member states must agree this year on how to protect and manage the high seas, which cover half the planet. The high seas play a vital role in supporting fisheries, providing habitat for hundreds of thousands of species and mitigating climate change impacts, but are currently severely underregulated resulting in widespread exploitation.

WWF calls on UN member states to agree on an ambitious, legally-binding global treaty to protect marine life in the two-thirds of the ocean that lie beyond national jurisdiction, when they meet at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Conference this August.

“The high seas epitomize the tragedy of the commons. Because they don’t ‘belong’ to anyone, they have been treated recklessly with impunity. We need a common governance mechanism for our ocean to ensure that nobody’s waters become everybody’s waters – and everyone’s responsibility,” said Marco Lambertini, Director General, WWF International.

“Fifty nations have already pledged to achieve an ambitious ocean treaty that would lay the groundwork for protecting 30% of the ocean and assess the environmental impact of activities on the high seas. We call on remaining UN member states to do the same and bring home a resounding result to years of negotiations. Leaders must deliver a robust and equitable biodiversity treaty for the high seas that can help us reverse nature loss this decade and secure, for all, a healthier and sustainable future.”

The ocean treaty can be a game changer in protecting the exceptional natural values of the high seas and building the resilience of economically important fisheries. But this requires negotiators to step up significantly to heed global ambitions.

Global ambitions to protect 30% of our ocean by 2030 cannot be achieved without a framework to designate and manage protected areas beyond national jurisdiction. The ocean treaty under negotiation aims to spell out for nations, through a robust and equitable governance mechanism, how to conserve and sustainably use the shared resources of the high seas.

For the new treaty to live up to its game-changing potential, WWF is calling on negotiators to resolve key issues*, namely in providing for enhanced cooperation; ensuring the designation and monitoring of marine protected areas in the high seas; subjecting all planned high seas activities to an environmental impact assessment process; clarifying the choice of regime for handling marine genetic resources; and putting in place and strengthening capacity-building, technology transfer, and reporting mechanisms.

What does this mean for the Arctic?

The Central Arctic Ocean (CAO) is almost 2.8 million square kilometers of high seas that lie beyond the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zones of the five Arctic coastal states. Although scientific understanding of the CAO marine environment is limited, this region has a rich marine life with unique diversity. However, its characteristics are changing rapidly due to the effects of climate change. Shipping in the Arctic is on the rise as sea ice recedes and pressure to access Arctic resources increases. More vessels mean increased risks to Arctic wildlife, from spills, waste and wastewater discharge, the introduction of invasive species, underwater noise and the breakup of the remaining ice.

The existing legal framework for biodiversity conservation in the Arctic high seas is limited and fragmented. It cannot adequately address emerging conservation needs. Although the Arctic Ocean is not mentioned specifically in the treaty, the agreement will directly affect the governance and conservation of these areas beyond coastal states’ jurisdiction in the Arctic. It will become part of the Arctic governance mechanism since the treaty requires coordination with existing regional and sectoral bodies to implement its objectives. Thus, to ensure the proper implementation, Arctic stakeholders will have to cooperate in a shared commitment to protect the Arctic “commons”.

“The Arctic is going through unprecedented shifts in its physical, social, geo-economic, and geopolitical realities in 2022. As Arctic sea ice melts and the temperature rises, we are witnessing the growth of an entirely new economic regime in the region. The Arctic is rapidly becoming a new frontier for expanding maritime activity that heightens the risks to its ecosystems. Approximately forty percent of these waters are now open for navigation during the summer months, meaning more pollution, discharges, and the introduction of invasive species. It is essential to minimize the risks from economic activity in the Arctic waters, especially within the most sensitive maritime areas, such as the Central Arctic Ocean, before it is too late,” said Inga Banshchikova,  Sustainable Development Group Coordinator, WWF Arctic Programme.

“Good governance is crucial for Arctic biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, including the four million people who live in the Arctic. This governance must establish concrete steps for preserving ecosystems, and it must be enforced through binding mechanisms and safeguards. Regional implementation of a global treaty would fill some gaps in the existing Central Arctic Ocean governance. Together with the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement from 2018, it is a much-needed step in the right direction in terms of protecting biodiversity in the Arctic high seas,” said Kiira Keski-Nirva, Senior Advisor Arctic Policy, WWF Arctic Programme.

For more details on what needs to be done and why, please refer to this briefing note WWF has prepared for leaders and ocean treaty negotiators.

For further information, please contact andrea.norgren@wwf.se.