Overview
The UK has a unique role to play in creating a Sargasso Sea Ocean Sanctuary under the Global Ocean Treaty agreed at the UN in 2023 given that the island of Bermuda, a UK Overseas Territory. This report details four clear recommendations to UK policy makers on the protection of the Sargasso Sea.
Foreword
by Noelle Young, Sustainability Solutionist and Youth Delegate from Bermuda
In May 2024, I joined a Greenpeace voyage through the heart of the Sargasso Sea – a journey that deeply reminded me of what we are fighting for: the preservation of our oceans and the vital ecosystems within it, natural resources upon which my beloved Bermuda heavily depends.
The Sargasso Sea is a stunning ecosystem. I had the opportunity to listen to the mesmerising songs of whales, the chatter of dolphins, and the rhythmic pops of organisms living in the sargassum floating past Greenpeace’s ship, the Arctic Sunrise.
As a mixed-race, multicultural female youth delegate with a strong family history in advocacy, my journey was both a badge of honour and a profound responsibility. With the Greenpeace crew I experienced the power of global cooperation, working with individuals from 18 different nationalities who had come together in support of protecting the Sargasso Sea.
No small drop in the ocean, a Sargasso Sea Ocean Sanctuary would cover 1.5% of the world’s high seas. Protecting these enormous areas has previously been almost impossible, but the 2023 agreement of the UN Global Ocean Treaty has opened a path to safeguarding the unique environment of the Sargasso Sea for future generations. Countries around the world need to ratify the treaty in time for the first Conference of Parties for the Ocean. This is likely to take place in 2026, so work must begin now on shaping a proposal for a Sargasso Sea Ocean Sanctuary.
Our island rests within the heart of the Sargasso Sea. Bermuda is small, but possesses a mighty collective voice and we must boldly use it to support the preservation of our environment. Bermuda has already led pioneering efforts to conserve the Sargasso Sea, aiming to protect the species that inhabit and migrate through it. We must now expand and continue this work in partnership with the UK government for the long term, ensuring the Sargasso Sea is preserved for all future generations.
Together, Bermuda and the UK can be global leaders in the push to protect at least 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, with the Sargasso Sea prioritised as a key inaugural site. I will admit: the challenge is immense, but so should be our determination. The time for enduring is over. Now is the time for empowering, leading, and protecting.
Executive summary
Hailed as the greatest ever victory for conservation, the Global Ocean Treaty – agreed at the UN in March 2023 – has made genuine protection of the high seas more possible than ever before. The UK has a unique role to play in global ocean protection and needs to grasp this opportunity now.
The high seas are the region beyond national jurisdiction, which make up nearly two thirds of the world’s ocean and have historically had very limited conservation governance. Creating a network of ocean sanctuaries on the high seas is a crucial factor in reaching the global target of protecting at least 30% of the ocean by 2030. A Sargasso Sea Ocean Sanctuary should be one the of the first sites designated under this treaty.
Situated in the North Atlantic, the Sargasso is a sprawling and complicated ecosystem that covers 4 million square kilometres. Large mats of shimmering sargassum seaweed carpet the water’s surface and create the foundation for hundreds of highly diverse marine species to feed, breed and thrive. It provides a crucial stop on the migration paths of whales and turtles.
At the centre of the Sargasso Sea is the island of Bermuda, a UK Overseas Territory. Bermuda has a strong connection to the health of the Sargasso, and this is reflected in the leading role it has taken in promoting the Sea’s conservation. The potential environmental, social and economic benefits to Bermuda of a Sargasso Sea Ocean Sanctuary are clear, but as an Overseas Territory, Bermuda doesn’t have a direct voice in the UN. Therefore, the UK must take the cause forward on the global stage.
The details of how the Global Ocean Treaty will be implemented will be decided in the next two years. This provides a space for Bermuda, the UK and their allies to set the agenda now and implement a Treaty that will produce the conservation gains needed in this time of biodiversity and climate crises.
To deliver protection of at least 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030 – also known as 30×30 – Greenpeace has four clear recommendations to UK policy makers:
- Ensure the UK is one of the first to ratify
The UK must lead the way and support other nations in ratifying the Global Ocean Treaty by early 2025 for it to come into force later in the same year. The Treaty will come into force 120 days after 60 countries have ratified. The EU and its 27 member states have stated they expect to ratify the Treaty in time for the UN Ocean Conference in June 2025.
- Begin the process of drafting the sanctuary proposal now
The UK and Bermuda must convene other potential champion governments to begin drafting an ocean sanctuary proposal for the first Ocean COP. This should be the first of a series of meetings. Relevant NGOs, fishers and community groups need to be involved from the beginning, and the proceedings and decision-making process should be transparent. - Embed local expertise
Bermuda should be appointed as a permanent member of any governing board overseeing the Sargasso Sea sanctuary, to help ensure that the island’s welfare is consistently represented in all decision-making processes. - Champion a wider network of ocean sanctuaries
The Sargasso Sea will be part of a wider network of ocean sanctuaries that span the high seas. The UK must support other sites as well as the Sargasso Sea for early designation to enable the delivery of 30×30.