This is a milestone for everyone who love and care the ocean. As per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and partners, 10.01% of the ocean is now within protected and conserved areas. Achieved the milestone after six years the original 2020 Aichi Biodiversity target, it shows what collective action can do and make the changes.

In 2024 only 8.6% of ocean and coastal areas were protected. With a huge effort governments and communities have added roughly 5 million square kilometres of ocean protection, an area larger than the entire European Union Since then in just two years.

This, however, still does not represent an achievement, but rather a stark reality since nations have committed to conserving 30 percent of the earth’s land and sea under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by 2030. To reach that ocean target, an additional area roughly the size of the Indian Ocean must still be protected in the next few years.

Neville Ash, Director of UNEP-WCMC, put it in perspective: “We all depend on the ocean for our survival; over half of the world’s oxygen is produced by life in the ocean. The great strides to protect more than 10% of the marine realm is therefore a moment for celebration. But reaching this milestone is a reminder of how much work there is still to do.”

Most of the current improvements have happened in national waters closer to coastlines. Out in the high seas those vast international waters that make up over 60% of the ocean's surface and 95% of its volume by habitat the protection level sits at just 1.66%.

That is why the UN High Seas Treaty, that come into force in January 2026, is very important. It provides the first dedicated international framework to establish protected areas in these remote, largely unregulated waters that no single country controls.

Coverage is only part of the story. Many marine protected areas exist on maps but lack real management. Some even allow harmful activities like deep-sea mining or industrial fishing that undermine conservation goals. Right now, we only have solid data on effective management for about 1.3% of the ocean.

Dr. Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General, highlighted the human element: “Oceans are havens of biodiversity, providing food, resources and livelihoods for millions, and are key to the survival and health of humanity. Indigenous Peoples steward critical marine and coastal ecosystems that are crucially important to safeguarding our oceans.”

She highlighted that success will come from combination of legal tools, science, community efforts, and equitable approaches.

When ever we eat seafoods, enjoy the sea beach or simply rely on a stable climate, we are depending on these waters. Oceans are responsible for good weather, it produce oxygen and support us along with countless of species.

With this milestone the fact that real progress is possible but need real efforts of collective action by nations, Indigenous communities, scientists, and conservation groups. We all know turning protected areas into effectively protected ones will require sustained funding, better monitoring, and genuine commitment. The next official check-in is the Protected Planet Report in 2027. Until then, the message is clear, celebrate the progress, but keep pushing our ocean and future depend on it.