After two weeks of negotiations between more than 50 countries, the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) ended last Friday without establishing a High Seas Treaty — once again leaving more than two-thirds of the global ocean unprotected. But important progress was also made, which the Only One community of supporters has helped push for. World leaders are closer than ever before to finalizing the treaty, and there’s reason to be optimistic that the next negotiation will be the last step in the nearly two-decades–long process. We can’t let up the pressure now, and we need you with us! Can you help build momentum for the coalition to protect the High Seas by sharing our petition with your network? We’re just shy of our goal of 75,000 signatures.
Update:
On June 8th, 2021, Panama surpassed the 30×30 target to become the leading country in marine protection in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) Seascape. This action tripled the size of the Cordillera de Coiba MPA, with nearly 70 percent designated as fully protected from extractive activities and the remaining 30 percent set aside for sustainable use.
On Nov. 1st, 2021, Ecuador announced an expansion of the existing Galápagos Islands marine reserve to encompass an additional 60,000 square kilometers. The majority of the addition would be established across the Cocos Ridge, which is an important migration route for species like hammerhead sharks and leatherback turtles.
On Dec. 17th, 2021, the Costa Rican government signed a decree expanding the fully protected area of the Isla del Coco National Park and the Seamounts Marine Management Area by more than 50,000 square kilometers–27 times bigger than its previous size.
On Jun. 28, 2022, the Colombian government announced the creation of four new major marine protected areas (MPAs), including one that expands the fully protected Malpelo Sanctuary of Fauna and Flora. In total, the new MPAs will enable Colombia to surpass the global 30x30 ocean protection goal eight years before the 2030 deadline!
Call on the governments of Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Colombia to join Panama in protecting the migration routes of species threatened with extinction.
Increased commercial fishing pressure is contributing to the decline of marine life in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) Seascape.
This is especially true along important animal migration routes, where commercial fishing operations, both domestic and foreign, have been documented engaging in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
