{"id":57656,"date":"2025-05-30T07:59:45","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T07:59:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/?p=57656"},"modified":"2025-05-30T07:59:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T07:59:51","slug":"beyond-borders-beneath-the-waves-what-the-high-seas-treaty-means-for-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/blog\/57656\/beyond-borders-beneath-the-waves-what-the-high-seas-treaty-means-for-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond borders, beneath the waves: what the High Seas Treaty means for Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The ocean is life. It feeds us, powers our climate, and sustains entire cultures across Africa. Yet more than half of it remains largely unprotected.<\/p>\n\n

Enter the High Seas Treaty, officially known as the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction<\/em> (BBNJ Agreement). Adopted in June 2023, this landmark UN treaty offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to safeguard the vast, lawless waters that cover nearly half the planet.<\/p>\n\n

What are the high seas?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

The high seas are ocean areas that lie beyond national jurisdictions. They make up about 64% of the global ocean (nearly half of Earth\u2019s surface) and are home to some of the planet\u2019s most ecologically vital ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n

But here\u2019s the problem: Less than 1% of the high seas are fully or highly protected.<\/p>\n\n

These waters face mounting threats from overfishing, deep-sea mining, climate change, and pollution. They lack the global governance needed to protect them. That\u2019s where the High Seas Treaty comes in.<\/p>\n\n

What the treaty does<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Once it enters into force, the High Seas Treaty will:<\/p>\n\n

    \n
  • Establish a legal framework and clear process for creating networks of marine protected areas in international waters – helping achieve the global goal of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030.
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Require environmental impact assessments for high seas activities that could harm marine biodiversity, increasing global transparency and accountability.
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from marine genetic resources sourced from the high seas and seabed.
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Enhance capacity building and marine technology transfer to support implementation, especially in developing countries, backed by a dedicated funding mechanism.
    <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

    The ultimate goal? Help the world reach the 30×30 target: protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030.<\/p>\n\n

    Why Africa should care<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

    Africa has everything to gain from the High Seas Treaty, and even more to lose if this opportunity is missed.<\/p>\n\n

      \n
    • Over 200 million Africans depend on fish as a primary source of protein
      <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • West Africa is a global hotspot for illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing
      <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Climate change could cause a 40% decline in the annual fish catch from some tropical marine fisheries by the 2050s
      <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • The ocean powers economies, preserves cultural identity, and supports millions of livelihoods<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

      The high seas are not \u201cout of sight, out of mind.\u201d What happens beyond our borders impacts African waters, food security, weather patterns, and people.<\/p>\n\n

      What needs to happen next<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

      For Africa to benefit, the treaty must be ratified and implemented.<\/p>\n\n

      As of today, only three African countries (Seychelles, Mauritius, and Malawi) have ratified the treaty.<\/p>\n\n