Historic Ocean Pact Reached: World’s “Largest Crime Scene” Finally Gets Rules
A milestone treaty to protect life in the high seas is set to take effect next year after Morocco became the 60th country to ratify, triggering the countdown to a long-awaited global framework for governing waters that cover nearly half of Earth’s surface.
The High Seas Treaty will establish the first binding rules to safeguard biodiversity in international waters, which until now have largely been a free-for-all for overfishing, shipping, and emerging industries like deep-sea mining.
“The high seas are the world’s largest crime scene — they’re unmanaged, unenforced, and a regulatory legal structure is absolutely necessary,” said Johan Bergenas of the World Wildlife Fund.
Still, the treaty’s impact hinges on who joins. Major players like China, Russia, Japan, and the United States have yet to ratify. While Washington and Beijing have signed in principle, they are not bound until their legislatures approve. Critics warn that without those nations, enforcement will be shaky.
Ratification triggers a 120-day countdown for the treaty to take effect. But much more work remains to flesh out how it will be implemented, financed and enforced.
“You need bigger boats, more fuel, more training and a different regulatory system,” Bergenas said. “The treaty is foundational — now begins the hard work.”
“If major fishing nations like China, Russia and Japan don’t join, they could undermine the protected areas,” said Guillermo Crespo, an oceans expert with the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The agreement also links directly to the “30×30” target — the global pledge to protect 30 percent of land and sea by 2030. But it leaves open big questions about funding, oversight, and the practicalities of monitoring vessels in the middle of the ocean.
“This is a way station — not the end point,” said ocean explorer Sylvia Earle. “If we continue to take from the ocean at the scale we presently are, we are putting ourselves at risk.”
The first meeting of treaty members is expected within a year of its entry into force, where countries will set the ground rules for implementation and financing. Until then, experts say the real test will be whether the world’s most powerful fleets decide to play by the same rules.
