The High Seas Treaty, a global legal framework to protect the parts of the ocean that don’t fall under any one country’s jurisdiction, has won the £1 million Earthshot Prize (US$1.3 million) for the Revive Our Oceans Category. The Earthshot competition was founded by the Prince of Wales.
The High Seas Alliance, a coalition of more than 70 civil society groups, worked tirelessly alongside governments, Indigenous Peoples, local communities worldwide and scientists to mobilize international support for this agreement which sets out clear measures to prevent overfishing, conserve ocean life and promote fair participation for developing countries.
In September of this year, the 60th country ratified the agreement, setting into motion a process that will allow the treaty to officially enter into force January 2026. This should significantly accelerate the global goal to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030.
The £1 million Earthshot Prize will help fund the creation of the first of six Marine Protected Areas in the High Seas.
The campaign secured more than 60 ratifications within just two years, driven by pioneering countries such as Palau. As of now, over 145 countries have signed the treaty, and more than 70, including the European Union, have ratified it – the formal process by which states agree to be legally bound by its clauses.
Prince William told attendees, “When I founded the Earthshot Prize in 2020, we had a 10-year goal: to make this the decade in which we transformed our world for the better. We set out to tackle environmental issues head on and make real, lasting changes that would protect life on Earth.”
“We’ve reached a tipping point with Earth,” he has said regarding the founding of the prize. “And if we don’t get our act together, by 2030 it will be too late. For me it felt like a really important moment where the future of humankind is in the balance.”
There are five Earthshots or goals: Protect and Restore Nature; Clean Our Air; Revive Our Oceans; Build a Waste-free World; and Fix Our Climate.
