SA will ratify a high-seas treaty within the next year, a senior official from the department of forestry, fisheries & the environment said on Thursday.
SA signed the landmark agreement, the first legally binding deal aimed at protecting maritime biodiversity in international waters, at the UN Oceans Conference in Nice, France, earlier this week.
It seeks to protect 30% of international waters that fall beyond the jurisdiction of any country and account for nearly two thirds of the world’s oceans.
The treaty needs 60 countries to ratify it to come into force. By Thursday, 51 countries had done so.
Ratification will bind SA to the terms of the treaty but will first require approval from the cabinet and then from parliament, said Radia Razack, the department’s acting deputy director for oceans and coast.
Cabinet would need to be satisfied that the agreement aligned with national interests before giving it the go-ahead and referring it to parliament, a process that could take six months to a year, she said.
The treaty — the Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) — was signed on behalf of SA by forestry, fisheries & environment minister Dion George on Monday.
Only about 1% of international waters, which fall outside the jurisdiction of any country, are currently protected. These vast tracts of ocean are under threat from climate change, overfishing and deep-sea mining.
The treaty creates the legal framework for countries to establish marine protected areas in the high seas, share the benefits derived from marine genetic resources and set rules for extractive industries.
Razack said the treaty reflected the government’s vision for science-based ocean governance.
“It tells global investors and shareholders that SA is serious about governing ocean resources transparently, equitably and sustainably. It’s good for business, it’s good for biodiversity and it must be good for our communities,” she said.
“It allows us to leapfrog into new marine technologies, monitoring systems and data sharing platforms. These are essential, not only for conservation, but for opening up new markets, for attracting green investment and for future-proofing ocean industries in the face of climate risk,” she said.
The DA — of which George is a member — said the development was in line with the proactive approach the minister had taken to protect biodiversity, livelihoods and food security in the ocean space.
“We hope that cabinet approval will be forthcoming and thereafter await the parliamentary processes for ratification in SA,” the DA said.
Update: June 12 2025
This story has been updated with new information.
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