30x30 Ocean Action Plan 2025

30x30 Ocean Action Plan49 48Strengthen national institutions to gather, interpret and apply ocean data Strengthen transparent monitoring, control & surveillance (MCS)• Ensure systematic collection and transparent curation of pre- and post-designation/ identification concerning ecological, social, and enforcement data for MPAs and OECMs, and embed this information into national and other relevant data systems to inform planning, management, and evaluation. Strengthen institutional capacity to curate, interpret and apply data through decision-support tools, scenario modelling, and training, enabling adaptive, climate-smart management and science-based, participatory policymaking. • Ensure that community-led efforts, including Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs), are meaningfully included in data systems and reporting frameworks, so their contributions can inform national and international tracking of 30x30 progress. • Build national capacity to contribute to global recording platforms (e.g. WDPA, WD- OECM, MPAtlas) and engage in high seas data processes under the BBNJ Agreement, including participation in clearinghouse mechanisms and ABNJ planning. Governments should also adopt emerging technologies—such as AI-powered analysis, sensor networks, and digital dashboards—to streamline reporting and generate real-time, actionable insights. • Invest in national monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) capacity by equipping marine agencies and community enforcement teams with patrol vessels, satellite tools, electronic monitoring systems, and sustained operational support. Develop regional resource-sharing agreements (e.g. joint patrols, shared intelligence systems) to boost cost-effective enforcement and close protection gaps—particularly in developing states and remote geographies. Prioritise innovative solutions such as low-cost satellite tracking, automated alert systems, community-deployed technologies, and shared digital platforms to expand surveillance reach and improve efficiency in resource- constrained settings. • Ensure that all MPAs are implemented in line with their stated level of protection— especially promoting those designated as fully or highly protected. This requires governments to put in place the core systems needed to deliver protection from the start: baseline ecological and socio-economic assessments, operational management structures, adequate staffing and resources, and clear enforcement responsibilities. • Legal frameworks must be reviewed and updated to ensure that penalties for infractions—such as fines or license suspensions—are consistently applied, proportionate to the offence, and publicly communicated. Regular, transparent reviews of implementation progress should be used to verify that MPAs are delivering ecological and social outcomes. Only through effective implementation and enforcement can MPAs contribute meaningfully to national and global targets.Support deployment of sustainable financing at national and site levels • Establish dedicated national task forces or working groups—co-led by Ministries of Finance and Environment (or their equivalents)—to lead the development and coordination of a national MPA and OECM financing strategy. This team should identify financing gaps, mobilise resources, engage private and philanthropic partners, and ensure alignment with national biodiversity, climate, and blue economy priorities. • Deploy long-term, fit-for-purpose financing at national and site levels to accelerate MPA and OECM designation and management—prioritising pipeline sites, Indigenous- and locally-led areas, and transboundary efforts—by channelling resources from national budgets, regional funds, and global instruments into co-management agreements, operational costs, and community benefit-sharing mechanisms that ensure financial sustainability and local ownership of protection outcomes. • Incentivise co-investment by using de-risking tools such as credit guarantees, blended finance structures, and insurance-backed financing to reduce perceived financial risks and encourage private and philanthropic capital to flow into MPA operations, infrastructure, and long-term management. Reinforce blended finance as a strategic mechanism to reduce overreliance on limited public budgets—by combining concessional, philanthropic, and commercial funding sources in structured, outcome-linked financing models that support long-term marine protection delivery. • Ensure that MPA management plans include costed business plans that identify long-term financial needs, align investment priorities with protection goals, and enhance implementation transparency and accountability. Action Area 2 Accelerating Protection in Key Geographies Photo: Igor Tichonow / Envato Elements