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February 16, 2026

Save the High Seas – And UK waters too

The High Seas Treaty – which the UK is now on its way to ratifying – is a leap forward for humanity and our blue planet. It recognises our ocean as the life support system it is – absorbing the worst of our climate excesses, feeding multitudes, and providing us all with every second breath.

The high seas, which are beyond any national jurisdiction, have historically been a lawless and vicious place – rife with illegal fishing and human rights abuses. Now at last we can start the process of regulating and repairing the damage done, with the treaty allowing marine protected areas that act as havens for nature and powerhouses of planetary resilience.

But what of seas closer to home? British waters also provide us with climate resilience, food, and livelihoods, yet they are consistently ignored, degraded, and destroyed.

Cod populations have reached such a dire state that scientists recommended a catch of zero is needed to prevent total collapse. It’s appalling to think of. But if we act now, this pain may be short-term, if we do not, we risk decades of desolation. Boats tied up for good. Communities at risk.

Instead of clear-eyed leadership, the government has resorted to magical thinking, setting catch limits too high year on year, as they have done yet again for cod, ignoring the science, and hoping.

They have swallowed the line (hook and sinker too) they are fed by the biggest and most damaging elements of the industry, who claim to be speaking for all fishers, but in reality are focused only on a quick buck for themselves. Small-scale boats and sustainable coastal livelihoods are collateral damage to these profit-hungry corporates.

The truth is that both UK seas and fishing communities alike are being betrayed by mismanagement that puts payback for nature always on the never-never. Today even our mainstays of cod, mackerel, and herring are falling into deep decline. A healthy ocean protects us all, and none of us can afford to ignore this any longer. The government needs a clear strategy to end overfishing and restore our seas, once and for all.

This article was first published by The Express and is reposted here with permission.