Today the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of EU ratification of the treaty to protect life on the High Seas. This High Seas Treaty is officially known as the treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.
Why is this a big deal? So far whilst 89 countries have adopted this treaty, only 4 countries (Palau, Chile, Seychelles and Belize) have actually ratified it. We need at least 60 countries to ratify for this treaty to enter in to force. The vote today paves the way for all 27 members states to start their own ratification procedures. That's a big chunk of countries that we need to urgently ratify the treaty so that the job of protecting our global ocean can begin.
This treaty is super important, also when it comes to the deep-sea. Most of the deep sea is in the High Seas. Remember the High Seas make up half our planet and are essentially ungoverned. These global commons belong to us all!
There are two things we must urgently fight for if we are to save The High Seas.
- Stop deep-sea mining. We must make sure deep-sea mining never begins. Continue sharing this petition and donate here to make a difference (please know that your donation really does make a difference. We cannot fight for the ocean without your support. Every little bit helps).
- Ensure urgent ratification of the High Seas Treaty. Tell your government (on social media and tag them or by writing a letter) to ratify the treaty as a matter of urgency.
Thank you! - Farah Obaidullah, long time ocean advocate, Founder of The Ocean and Us and Women4Oceans, as well as editor of the book The Ocean and Us.
DO NOT CLICK ON ‘TAKE THE NEXT STEP!’ BELOW TO DONATE, THAT MONEY WILL NEVER BE USED FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. CLICK HERE TO STOP DEEP-SEA MINING.