High Seas Treaty Opportunity for the Church to Lead

Followers of Christ are called to protect 100% of God’s planet, but too often in conservation and creation care work, the oceans have been neglected. An important new treaty that protects biodiversity in international waters has just been signed by delegates to the UN. This is an important step in recognizing the value of marine life. But it is not enough on its own to protect these creatures and the well-being of the planet. Will the church lead the way and model as God’s image bearers how we ought to care for corals, clams, crabs, and the rest of God’s creatures in the sea? Our history has not been great in this respect.

The Third Lausanne Congress of Christian leaders in Capetown finally recognized creation care as an important Christian issue alongside evangelism, social justice, and other traditional concerns. A subsequent meeting was convened in Jamaica to determine how to move ahead with creation care within the Lausanne Movement. It would be codified in the book “Creation Care and the Gospel” with no intentions of including anything on the ocean, despite the ocean occupying 71% of the surface and 99% of the habitable space of the planet. Thankfully, I was able to co-write a chapter with oceanographer Meric Srokosz; we knew the editors and convinced them of the shortcoming, and we were able to get our article included in the book.

Laws which govern a particular portion of the ocean are often made at a local or national level of jurisdiction. The United States government, for example, makes laws in its waters up to 200 nautical miles offshore. This is complicated by individual states having responsibility closer to shore, and in many cases local governments and even communities can regulate activities. However, about two thirds of the ocean is outside of these national boundaries giving rise to the general term to describe the life in these areas as Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (you will often see the acronym BBNJ to refer to this treaty or concept). This area has also come to be known as The High Seas. There are international treaties which cover these areas, but they were created some time ago and were developed in a different era with less concern for conservation and less understanding of our impact on the ocean. Hence the significance of the announcement that a High Seas Treaty had been agreed.

But will it matter? The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals include specific reference to the ocean in Goal 14. A plastic treaty is in the works to try and combat international plastic pollution. The Biodiversity Conference of Parties meets regularly to negotiate issues related to biodiversity conservation, including the ocean. Many are cautiously hopeful. The High Seas Treaty could provide coverage and international agreement on a large portion of the ocean that isn’t effectively governed. It sets the stage for working together to protect areas that are common to all and owned by all or none, depending on your point of view. There is great excitement in the marine conservation twittersphere regarding the treaty, along with caution that this is just the beginning and the treaty merely sets the stage for how we move forward with high seas conservation. The treaty does not do the  actual conservation itself. The sea is just as imperiled today as it was yesterday. But there is a glimmer of hope.