Oceans
Embedded Files
In this section you can learn about how we should protect the oceans, including information regarding 30x30 and the Global Oceans Treaty. You will find a mixture of slides, documents, door pitches and supporting photos and videos for the campaign, including actions.
How we can protect the oceans
How we can protect the oceans
Our planet is 70% oceans and seas, but only a tiny fraction is currently protected. We need a global network of ocean sanctuaries to protect oceans from overfishing, oil drilling and plastic pollution.
In March 2023, the United Nations agreed a Global Ocean Treaty after two decades of negotiations. It sets the rules and tools for protecting ocean life over nearly half of our planet. This was achieved together with other groups, with Greenpeace being one member the High Seas Alliance, click here for more info.
Once it enters into force, it will enable countries to work together to create a network of ocean sanctuaries across the globe, putting protections in place for fragile ecosystems and marine life. This is currently the world’s only pathway to meet the global 30×30 goal of protecting at least 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030.
As of September 2025, at least 60 countries have ratified! The Treaty can now enter into force! See the materials on the Hub for more info.
Click here to view the LIVE Ocean Ratification Tracker.
Click here to understand what a Marine Protected Area is.
Training
Photos
June 1975
Greenpeace first anti whaling campaign was carried out during the summer of 1975 in the North Pacific Ocean using the sailing vessel Phyllis Cormack to oppose the activities of a Russian whaling fleet.
October 2019
Greenpeace activists boarded two oil platforms in Shell’s Brent field in a peaceful protest against plans by the company to leave parts of old oil structures with 11,000 tonnes of oil in the North Sea.
September 2020
Greenpeace UK activists place inert granite boulders inside the Dogger Bank marine protected area in the North Sea to ensure that bottom trawlers can no longer operate in the new bottom trawler exclusion zone.
November 2023
Greenpeace activists protested around MV COCO, an offshore drilling vessel collecting data for deep sea mining frontrunner, The Metals Company (TMC). The protest started on the 22nd November and carried on until the 3rd December 2023.
What does all this ocean protection mean for local fisher people?
What does all this ocean protection mean for local fisher people?
Latest Updates
The Global Oceans Treaty is official!!!
The Global Oceans Treaty is official!!!
We did it! More than sixty governments have now ratified the Global Ocean Treaty. This milestone means it will officially come into force on 17th January 2026.
Disappointingly, the UK is not among the first 60 countries to ratify the Treaty, despite being instrumental in its negotiation. But earlier this month – after a sustained campaign – the government did finally introduce the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill to Parliament. This is a vital first step towards ratification, but the process must now be completed quickly.
Click here to read the article.
International Seabed Authority 30th session
International Seabed Authority 30th session
7th July 2025
What’s new?
37 states (including UK) now support a moratorium on deep sea mining
950 scientists now support a moratorium
President Trump has signed an Executive Order in support of deep sea mining in international as well as US waters
The Metals Company has submitted an application to the US government to commercially mine the international seabed, bypassing the ISA and receiving international condemnation
The Norwegian company (Loke) that owned UK Seabed Resources, who own the UK’s 2 exploration licences has gone bust and the UK government is remaining tight lipped about the new owners - newly established UK company Glomar
The President of the ISA Council is trying to rush through approval of a mining code
Observers could be excluded from the ISA process
3rd April
Greenpeace climbers scaled the Foreign Office and dropped a banner urging David Lammy to rapidly ratify the Global Ocean Treaty!
Despite promising last year to prioritise it, we’ve seen no progress from the Government to sign the Treaty into UK law, so we are escalating our campaign and increasing the pressure on the Foreign Secretary.
LAMMY DON’T DALLY!
To read the full article, click here.
To read the Q&As, click here.
See here to get the next day run down
Our oceans are vital to all life on Earth. Without healthy oceans, even humans would find it difficult to survive.
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