West Africa Moves to Protect Vital High Seas Zone
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📰 The quick summary: West African nations are developing one of the first high seas marine protected areas under the newly enacted High Seas Treaty, aiming to safeguard a biologically rich ocean zone that supports over 300 million people.
📈 One key stat: Over 300 million people in coastal West Africa depend on the ecosystem services provided by the proposed marine protected area, highlighting just how significant this conservation effort is for the region.
💬 One key quote: “It provides critical ecosystem services to over 300 million people in the coastal West African region,” said Sikeade Egbuwalo, the BBNJ focal point for Nigeria.
1️⃣ The big picture: With the High Seas Treaty entering into force in January 2026, countries now have a legal framework to establish marine protected areas beyond their national waters for the first time. A coalition of West African nations, led by Nigeria and coordinated through ECOWAS, is working to designate one such protected area in the convergence zone of the Canary and Guinea Currents. Stretching from Cape Verde and Senegal in the north to Nigeria and São Tomé and Príncipe in the south, this nutrient-rich zone is considered one of the most biologically and socioculturally significant marine areas in the world. Threatened species like the hawksbill turtle, sei whale, and sawback angelshark call this area home, while illegal fishing, plastic pollution, oil exploration, and deep-sea mining all pose serious risks. ECOWAS members are aiming to finalize a draft proposal by December 2026, though challenges around funding, monitoring, and enforcement remain.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: For the first time, a concrete legal pathway exists to protect ocean areas that lie beyond any single country’s jurisdiction, and West Africa is among the first regions in the world to act on it. Protecting this marine zone could allow overexploited fish stocks to recover, directly benefiting the food security and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people along the West African coast. Safeguarding critical breeding and migration habitats for sea turtles, manatees, and whales in this region could have positive ripple effects across entire ocean ecosystems. The proposal also brings together a broad coalition of nations, scientists, and international organizations, setting a powerful precedent for multilateral ocean governance. Progress here, alongside similar efforts in Latin America and the Indian Ocean, signals a growing global momentum toward protecting the high seas before irreversible damage occurs.
3️⃣ What’s next: ECOWAS members are targeting a draft MPA proposal by December 2026, with the aim of submitting it at the first Conference of Parties for the High Seas Treaty. Key priorities include identifying regional scientific experts and institutions, assessing capacity gaps, and developing a concrete work plan. Securing international financial support and building regional monitoring and enforcement capacity, including through satellite technology and artificial intelligence, will be essential to turning the proposal into a functioning protected area.
Read the full story here: Mongabay – With high seas treaty in place, West African countries plan for protected area
