Can the High Seas Treaty protect marine life in Galapagos?

Nearly two thirds of the world’s oceans lie beyond national jurisdiction. While countries around the world are making progress on establishing marine protected areas (MPAs) within their own exclusive economic zones, just 1% of the High Seas are properly protected.

In March 2023, world leaders reached agreement on a High Seas Treaty after nearly 20 years of negotiations. This landmark agreement – also known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty – puts mechanisms in place to create MPAs on the High Seas, a key component in realising the shared goal of protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030.

In order for the BBNJ Treaty to come into force, it needs to be signed and ratified by at least 60 countries. At the time of writing, just eight have done so, and both the UK and Ecuador are yet to ratify the Treaty.

Why do the High Seas matter for Galapagos?

In the Eastern Tropical Pacific, the BBNJ Treaty could support the protection of the High Seas area to the southeast of Galapagos, which currently attracts intense fishing efforts, including the Chinese squid jigger fleet. This is not only putting pressure on the marine ecosystem and threatening migratory species that leave protected areas; we have also identified this area as a major source of plastic pollution arriving on Galapagos coastlines due to poor waste management by these fishing fleets.

Earlier this year, the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise embarked on a six-week expedition around the Galapagos Islands, with scientists on board from a number of GCT’s partner organisations. The expedition sought to study the health of marine life both inside and outside the Galapagos Marine Reserve, and to underline the urgent need to ratify BBNJ.

During the expedition, Greenpeace issued a statement calling for the creation of a new High Seas MPA outside the existing Galapagos Marine Reserve. However, there is still a considerable amount of work to do before this can happen, including more research to determine where new MPAs would most benefit migratory marine species, and engagement with the fishing sector, which was vital to the establishment of the new Hermandad Marine Reserve in 2022.

Are the existing Marine Reserves working?

Ocean protection in the Eastern Tropical Pacific has increased significantly in recent years, rising from 156,000 km² in 2010 to more than 720,000 km² today. New MPAs in the region include Hermandad in Ecuadorian waters and the Bicentennial Marine Management Area established by Costa Rica, both designed to protect marine species migrating along the Galapagos-Cocos ‘Swimway’.

However, there are concerns around the effectiveness of the Costa Rican MPA. Unlike Hermandad, the Bicentennial does not yet have a management plan, and long-lining, a fishing method which has a devastating effect on non-target species such as sharks, is permitted by Costa Rica. There is also a growing concern that long-lining may soon be allowed to resume in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, where it has been banned since 2008.

While the creation of new MPAs is to be welcomed, we must ensure that these are more than just ‘paper parks’. We need effective enforcement, community engagement and, above all, an approach to fisheries management that prioritises the long-term health of ocean ecosystems over short-term commercial interests.