A lot of attention was focused in March on the meeting of the International Seabed Authority in Kingston, Jamaica. The first part of its 29 th annual session (ISA29) from 18 to 29 March focused on the draft deep-sea mineral exploitation regulation – known as the ‘Mining Code’. This draft could pave the way for large-scale mining of minerals from the ocean at depths deeper than 200 m. Because of the huge knowledge gaps and serious fears for marine life and the integrity of entire ecosystems, not to mention interference with surface fisheries for food a coalition of so far 25 countries, including Chile and Germany, are asking for a moratorium to allow for time for environmental impact assessments. Some countries and organisations, including some mining companies, even argue that deep sea mining is completely unnecessary and uneconomical as e.g. alternatives to conventional battery technology are under development with promising results.

The one-year anniversary of the High Seas Treaty agreed by governments at the UN on 4 March 2023 warrants special attention. The international treaty for the conservation of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdictions (BBNJ Treaty) has been negotiated in the context of the Law of the Sea. It has so far been signed by 88 States, but only 2 have ratified it. 60 ratifications are required for the High Seas Treaty to enter into force. It will then end the largely lawless situation of almost two thirds of the ocean. The objective is to achieve that in time for next year’s UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, in June. EU Member States at the COMAR (Working Group on Law of the Sea) meeting, 6 March, have approved the ratification. The European Parliament could still deliberate ahead of the elections in June as several member states signalled advances in the national ratification processes. Let action follow the good intentions!

The Sustainable Development Goal 14 supporting ocean health for well-being on the Blue Planet is still the least funded of the SDGs. Some proposed investments, such as deep sea mining, may even roll back the expected positive effects of the BBNJ. The Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) agreed in Montreal in 2022 to set up a fund to support countries in the Global South in the effort to slow what has been called the 6^th species mass extinction. Industrialised countries agreed they will contribute at least $20 billion annually by 2025 to help close that gap between what’s available now and what’s needed to sufficiently safeguard biodiversity worldwide. Efforts need to go beyond plastic, which has captured the attention more readily than other ills of the ocean.

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