September 23, 2026 – Today, Prime Minister Carney announced the official ratification of the Global Ocean Treaty at the OceanEye International Alliance event organised during the UN General Assembly in New York. The ratification legally binds Canada to the landmark international agreement aimed at protecting marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. The treaty gives governments the tools to create ocean sanctuaries – marine protected areas in the high seas – where wildlife and ecosystems can recover and thrive.
Sien Van den broeke, Nature & Biodiversity Campaigner at Greenpeace Canada, said:
“At long last, Greenpeace Canada is celebrating Canada’s ratification of the Global Ocean Treaty. Bordering three of the world’s oceans, Canada has an essential role to play in protecting the waters that sustain us all.
This is Canada’s moment to reclaim its role as a global ocean leader by establishing fully protected ocean sanctuaries where magnificent marine wildlife can recover and thrive. With the very first ocean envoy newly appointed, we urge Diana Fox Carney and the Canadian government to champion a strong, swift, and equitable implementation of the treaty to achieve 30% protection of the world’s oceans by 2030.”
Currently, only 10% of the global ocean is protected, with about 3.5% fully or highly protected. To meet the globally-agreed target to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, governments will need to protect ocean areas larger than entire continents and do so faster than any conservation effort in history. Following today’s ratification, Canada will have a seat at the table during the very first Ocean COP in January 2027, where nations will decide on the implementation of the treaty.
Greenpeace Canada is urging the federal government to advocate for fully protected ocean sanctuaries and a network approach that ensures ecological connectivity and representativity. To be effective, it is crucial that high seas sanctuaries established under the treaty meet the standards of being fully or highly protected, and ensure that harmful extractive activities such as industrial fishing are not allowed. Alongside that, a connected network of ocean sanctuaries is key to species’ survival and protection as over 800 marine species migrate through national waters and the high seas.
Beyond creating safe areas of the ocean that will enable blue wildlife to thrive, ocean sanctuaries are essential to helping us adapt to and mitigate climate crisis impacts, and for safeguarding food security, livelihoods and ways of living for billions of people around the world.
“This is Canada’s moment to lead in ocean conservation. As host of the 2027 Our Ocean Conference in Halifax, Canada has a clear path forward. By decisively implementing the treaty and championing fully protected, connected ocean sanctuaries, Canada can set the global standard for ocean protection,” Sien added.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Patou Oumarou, Communications Campaigner, Greenpeace Canada
[email protected], 418 431-0263
