30x30 Ocean Action Plan 2025

30x30 Ocean Action Plan33 32Southern Ocean MPAs under CCAMLR59 Antarctica | Southern Ocean | High Seas | 4,598,245 km2 The set of proposed marine protected areas (MPAs) under the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) represents one of the most ambitious opportunities to contribute to the global 30x30 target.60 Spanning across the Southern Ocean, the Domain 1 MPA (670,000 km²), Weddell Sea MPA Phase 1 (2,238,245 km²), Weddell Sea MPA Phase 2 (720,000 km²), and the East Antarctic MPA (970,000 km²) would collectively deliver a significant boost of 4,598,245 km2 to protection in the region. These proposals build on CCAMLR’s pioneering role in establishing MPAs in the high seas, including the Ross Sea Region MPA—the world’s largest when adopted in 2016. Situated within a globally significant ecosystem, these MPAs aim to protect critical migratory routes, climate refugia, and ecological connectivity across the Southern Ocean. As CCAMLR already has the ability to designate MPAs within its Convention boundaries, it can offer a tested model for future high seas conservation under the UN Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), demonstrating how science-based design, long-term monitoring, and adaptive management can be achieved through regional cooperation. While progress has been slowed by geopolitical challenges within CCAMLR’s consensus-based governance, the successful adoption of these MPAs would mark a transformative step toward closing the ocean protection gap in the high seas and underscore the importance of multilateral action in delivering the 30x30 target.61 Case Study 4. Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges Southeast Pacific Ocean | High Seas | 1,097,846 km2 The proposed marine protected area (MPA) for the Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges in the southeast Pacific—potentially covering an area up to 1,097,846 km²—has the opportunity to become one of the world’s most significant high seas MPAs and a leading example of what is possible under the UN Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). With efforts led by Chile, and strong backing from regional scientific and policy partners, the initiative targets two connected seamount chains that are among the most ecologically intact and biodiverse deep-sea ecosystems on the planet.62,63 These underwater habitats support unique species, migratory sharks, whales, and seabirds, while playing a vital role in global ocean health through carbon cycling and deep-sea ecosystem functions.64 By extending protections from Chile’s existing no-take MPAs – such as the Mar de Juan Fernández Marine Park, the Nazca-Desventuradas Marine Park, and the Motu Motiro Hiva Marine Park – into the high seas, this proposal exemplifies how international cooperation and science-driven conservation can converge to safeguard biodiversity in one of the least governed ocean regions.65 Additionally, by organising the scientific underpinning and establishing communication pathways with the relevant regional bodies and stakeholders in the way the BBNJ Agreement outlines, Chile is providing an example of preparatory governance to accelerate the Agreement’s implementation once it enters into force. If designated, the Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges MPA would not only fill a critical gap in global marine protection coverage but also serve as a high- impact model for climate-resilient, well-connected high seas conservation under the 30x30 target.66 Case Study 5.