Canada Advocates for High Seas Treaty at COP16 to Protect Global MarineBiodiversity

Overview:

As the COP16 biodiversity summit convened in Cali, Colombia, Canada has emerged as a leading advocate for a binding international agreement to protect high seas marine areas. This treaty, known as the High Seas Treaty or the agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, represents a historic effort to create enforceable protections for marine environments outside national boundaries, which are essential for achieving the global 30×30 conservation goal: protecting 30 percent of land and ocean areas by 2030. “Canada’s proximity to three oceans gives us a unique understanding of the importance of ocean conservation,” remarked Canada’s Environment and Climate Change Minister, Steven Guilbeault. Since 2015, Canada has significantly expanded marine protected areas (MPAs), reaching nearly 16 percent coverage of its coastal waters, with the goal of hitting 17 to 18 percent by year-end. Yet, to meet the ambitious 30×30 goal adopted in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), further action is needed.

Key Elements:

1. The Urgent Need for High Seas Protection:

   • The world’s oceans face numerous challenges, including overfishing, habitat destruction, plastic and noise pollution, and new risks from deep-sea mining. The high seas, which account for nearly half of the planet’s surface, remain largely unprotected— only about 1 percent of these waters are currently safeguarded. The High Seas Treaty aims to close this gap by establishing legally protected areas and providing a framework for assessing environmental impacts in international waters.
   • With 105 countries, including Canada, having signed the treaty, ratification is the next step to bring it into force. The treaty requires at least 60 countries to ratify it before it becomes effective, and Canada has been pushing to achieve this by the United Nations Ocean Conference in June 2025.

2. Collaborative Efforts for Marine Conservation:

   • Canada is also part of a pioneering group of countries working to establish the first set of eight MPAs in the high seas. These areas, identified through collaborations with Indigenous communities, local experts, and scientists, aim to protect ecologically significant zones essential for marine biodiversity.
   • According to Andreas Hansen, global ocean policy director at the Nature Conservancy, these protected areas are critical for sustainable decision-making. “By mapping the high seas and understanding their ecosystems, decision-makers can develop balanced conservation strategies,” he explained.

3. A Global Call for Equitable Sharing of Resources:

   • Another key aspect of the treaty is ensuring that benefits derived from marine genetic resources, such as pharmaceuticals and biotechnologies, are shared equitably. Developing nations and island countries have pushed for a global fund to facilitate this benefit-sharing, ensuring that conservation efforts in high seas regions are accessible to all nations, not just those with extensive resources.
   • Brian O’Donnell, director of the Campaign for Nature, emphasized that relying solely on voluntary contributions from private industries for conservation funding is unsustainable. He noted that governments currently fund about 85 percent of biodiversity conservation worldwide and that corporate involvement, while valuable, cannot replace the public sector’s crucial role.

4. High Seas Conservation: Vital for Biodiversity and Human Health:

   • The high seas support diverse migratory species, including seabirds and whales, which depend on healthy marine corridors and habitats. “Biodiversity is foundational to planetary and human health,” said Sue Lieberman, vice-president of the Wildlife Conservation Society. “This treaty is a vital tool, establishing frameworks to declare protected areas on the high seas and safeguard these critical ecosystems.”
   • As the COP16 summit reconvenes to finalize its 23 biodiversity targets, Canada’s leadership in advocating for a high seas treaty demonstrates a strong commitment to marine conservation. The treaty’s ratification will mark a pivotal step toward international cooperation in protecting the ocean’s vast, shared ecosystems.

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