Nikhil Aiyush Kumar 
Fiji is calling for decisive global action to protect international waters as countries prepare for the first Conference of the Parties under the new High Seas Treaty.
Speaking at the Ocean Pioneers Ministerial Meeting in Lisbon, Minister for Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya says the March preparatory meeting in New York will set rules and frameworks ahead of COP31.
The High Seas Treaty, officially the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, enters into force today, allowing countries to establish marine protected areas in waters beyond national borders, covering nearly half of the planet.
Minister Tabuya says protecting only national waters will not achieve global biodiversity targets. She adds that decisions must be guided by science and handled transparently, urging the swift establishment of the treaty’s Scientific and Technical Body.
For Fiji and other Pacific nations, the ocean is central to food security, livelihoods, cultural identity, and climate resilience. Tabuya says global action is critical to safeguarding these lifelines.
Fiji will continue working with international partners to ensure COP1 delivers concrete progress for the world’s oceans by 2030.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
