What went right this week: a ‘global milestone’ for ocean conservation, plus more

Nations have achieved “an important global milestone” for people and planet, with more than 10% of the ocean now officially protected.

That’s according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which revealed this week that 5m sq km of ocean – an area larger than the European Union – was classed as protected in the last two years alone. The percentage of ocean now officially under conservation measures, it added, stands at 10.01% – up from 8.6% in 2024.

“We all depend on the ocean for our survival; over half of the world’s oxygen is produced by life in the ocean,” said Neville Ash, director of UNEP’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre, “[this] therefore is a moment for celebration.” 

It’s also, he added, “a reminder of how much work there is still to do”, pointing to the 2022 agreement committing nations to conserving 30% of Earth’s land and sea by 2030. To meet the target, an area the size of the Indian Ocean must be protected in the next four years, said UNEP. 

Policing protected areas is also a challenge, as highlighted by a new report revealing how the UK’s marine protected areas are being plundered by industrial trawlers. “It is critical that both new and existing areas are managed effectively to deliver positive outcomes for people and nature,” added Ash.

Image: Pagie Page