A global win: 60 countries ratify the Global Ocean Treaty – Greenpeace Australia Pacific

Big news for our ocean, 60 countries have now ratified the Global Ocean Treaty, meaning we now have enough ratifications to bring this landmark treaty to life, allowing governments to create marine sanctuaries in international waters. This people-powered win shows just how much we can achieve when we come together to demand ocean protection.

Because of you, and millions of others who have spoken up around the world, we now have the chance to create vast ocean sanctuaries in the high seas, safe havens where marine life can recover and flourish.

The Global Ocean Treaty is one of the most important international protection agreements in history and the first focused on conserving marine life on the high seas.

But here’s the catch: Australia still hasn’t ratified

Despite being one of the first countries to sign the treaty at the United Nations General Assembly in 2023, ratification has been delayed and deprioritised. This is cutting it fine if we want to hit the global goal of protecting 30% of our oceans by 2030. Less than 1% of the High Seas are currently fully or highly protected. The treaty is crucial to expanding protection, establishing sanctuaries that help mitigate the climate crisis, and safeguarding food security for the billions who depend on ocean resources. Without it, the grim fate of our oceans is clear: more severe marine heatwaves, more loss of species and more ocean acidity. Time is running out.

The Tasman Sea: Australia’s chance to lead

Our region has some of the most extraordinary oceans on Earth, but being surrounded by sea is meaningless if we fail to protect it. The Tasman Sea is home to unique and precious marine life, from whales to seabirds to deep-sea ecosystems, but without strong safeguards, it remains vulnerable to destructive fishing including long lining and bottom trawling.

The Global Ocean Treaty gives us the tool we need to change that. If Australia ratifies now, we can move quickly to propose one of the first ever high seas ocean sanctuaries, in the Tasman Sea. This would be a legacy making step for the Albanese Government, proving that Australia can be the ocean leader we aspire to be.

A chance for leadership or a missed opportunity

Countries like Brazil, Fiji, Chile, and France are already stepping up. But Australia is dragging its feet. For a nation that claims to be a champion of the seas, it is poor form not to be a first mover. Australia hasn’t missed the boat but it better start swimming.

Ocean protection cannot wait. By creating sanctuaries now, we give our oceans the space to recover from centuries of exploitation, ensuring healthy oceans for generations to come.

Minister Murray Watt and the Australian Government have the power to make this happen. What they need is a clear message from all of us: the time to ratify is now.

Add your voice

Thanks to people-power, the Global Ocean Treaty is becoming a reality. But unless Australia joins in, we risk being left behind and the Tasman Sea will remain unprotected.

Together, we can push the government to act with urgency. Sign the petition today and tell Minister Watt: Ratify the Global Ocean Treaty and help create ocean sanctuaries by 2030.

We need to keep the issue of ocean protection high on the government’s radar to create political momentum and get this treaty ratified. Following ratification, there is also the crucial task of making the case for marine protected areas, and specifically for the protection of the Lord Howe Rise and South Tasman Sea as one of the first sites protected under the Treaty. The Global Ocean Treaty is one of the most significant protection treaties in history, and it should be prioritised by Australia.

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More detail

The Australian and New Zealand governments are yet to ratify the treaty. As one of the largest island nations in the world, Australia is in a unique position to be a leader in ocean protection on the global stage. The destruction of the Tasman Sea is allowed to happen in lieu of a promised treaty in force. We are asking the government to do two things: ratify the Global Ocean Treaty, and propose protected ocean sanctuaries in the global ocean between Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand. 

We are almost there. We can protect the bustling and unique life of the Tasman Sea. Together, we can encourage the Australian government to close the loop on the treaty and bring their promise into force. Then, we can create safe havens for the animals we love, the animals who share our blue planet. Working together, we can protect the ocean that connects us all and preserve it for generations to come.