Native America Calling: A groundbreaking agreement promises protections for the world’s oceans

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Native America Calling: A groundbreaking agreement promises protections for the world’s oceans — can it deliver?

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

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A groundbreaking agreement promises protections for the world’s oceans — can it deliver?

After two decades of work, supporters of an international agreement are celebrating ratification of a tool aimed at reversing ongoing threats to oceans around the globe.

Sixty nations have signed onto the High Seas Treaty. It’s a legally-binding document that maps a direction for marine biodiversity in international waters.

The treaty addresses threats such as pollution, overfishing, and damage caused by climate change. The goals align with those of many Indigenous populations, many of whom are bearing the brunt of diminished ocean diversity.

At the same time, there are concerns about the ability to enforce the agreement against nations that choose to ignore it.

The waters of Puerto Rico. Photo: Jeffrey Bary

Guests on Native America Calling

Steve MacLean (Iñupiaq), managing director of the World Wildlife Fund U.S. Arctic Program

Solomon Kahoʻohalahala (Native Hawaiian), chairperson of the Maui Nui Makai Network in Hawaii, a former Hawaii State Representative, and elder

Roberto Múkaro Borrero (Taino), Kasike of the Guainía Taíno Tribe in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, president of United Confederation of Taíno People, and UN Programmes Coordinator for the International Indian Treaty Council

Guillermo Ortuño Crespo, co-lead of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) High Seas Specialist Group 