Humanity has reached a new milestone for nature, with more than 10% of the world's oceans now officially protected. The United Nations has welcomed the development as significant progress while stressing it is an urgent reminder that marine protected and conserved areas must triple by 2030.
The UN Environment Programme's World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) confirmed on Wednesday that 10.01% of the oceans have now been formally designated as protected or conserved areas, following the addition of approximately five million square kilometres over the past two years, an area larger than the European Union, according to a report by the Spanish news agency EFE.
"Reaching this important milestone reminds us of what can be achieved when the international community works together, using legal frameworks, scientific data and community projects to deliver on global ambitions," said Grethel Aguilar, Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The newly designated areas have been included in the monthly update of the World Database on Protected and Conserved Areas (WDPCA), which compiles national data and data from areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Still far from the 30% target
Although the share of protected ocean has risen from 8.6% in 2024, the UN notes that an area roughly the size of the Indian Ocean still needs to be designated by 2030 if international targets are to be met. In December 2022, governments committed to protecting 30% of the planet's land and ocean by 2030 through the creation of protected and conserved areas that also recognise the role of traditional and indigenous peoples. Under earlier global biodiversity commitments, countries had already agreed to protect 10% of the oceans by 2020, meaning the current milestone has been reached six years behind schedule.
The High Seas Treaty as a key instrument
The UN has noted that most progress since 2020 has been made in national waters, while around 5% of marine habitats lie in the high seas, which cover more than 60% of the ocean's surface but of which only 1.66% is protected. One of the central aspects of the High Seas Treaty (BBNJ), which entered into force in January 2026, is that it lays the groundwork for establishing marine protected areas in international waters, ensures that the environmental impact of activities there is taken into account, and facilitates cooperation between countries.
Effective management, not just designation
Beyond formally designating these areas, the UN has called for their effective management and for reporting on progress in this regard.
"Even in actively managed areas, damaging activities may be taking place, undermining their effectiveness for biodiversity conservation," the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre said in a statement.
The organisation has called for coordinated action from parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), international bodies, regional organisations, indigenous peoples, local communities, donors and technical partners to ensure that marine protected and conserved areas are adequately resourced and supported for effective management.
Source: CNA