Blog authored by Bronwen Golder
2024 has been a year of progress, fueled by strong partnerships, emerging science, and a growing global commitment to deep-sea conservation. However, we also find ourselves continuing to confront long-fought challenges in order to achieve the ultimate vision of the #OceanLifelines campaign – protection of seamounts and other vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) on the high seas from destructive fishing practices like bottom trawling.
Common Priorities and Global Momentum
In 2024 we saw increased alignment across regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on the need to expand deep-sea exploration and safeguard the fragile ecosystems found there. This growing consensus is crucial as we head into 2025, with ongoing efforts to secure commitments to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030 (30×30) and meet Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) targets.
While among some RFMOs there is a clear, shared recognition of the importance of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) and the urgent need for robust protections against destructive practices, others continue to see progress delayed by a handful of member countries that persistently call, even in the face of compelling science, for more evidence of VMEs or significant adverse impacts (SAIs) before they will support protection measures.
The 2024 focus on science has been pivotal. Scientific expeditions to the deep sea, especially around seamounts, have provided valuable insights into the biodiversity and ecological significance of these underwater mountains, alongside awe-inspiring imagery bringing this often forgotten realm into the spotlight. These discoveries underscore the critical role seamounts play as hotspots for marine life – as habitats, feeding grounds and migratory rest stops – including species such as whales, sharks, seabirds.
In 2025 we must reignite and affirm the importance of seamount science to ensure that they are placed at the forefront of the deep-sea conservation agenda.
An octopus documented during Dive 674, an exploration transect on the southeastern flank of an unexplored and unnamed seamount located within the national jurisdiction of Chile, east of Motu Motiro Hiva, an uninhabited island along the Salas y Gómez Ridge. Credit: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean InstituteAddressing Cumulative Impacts and Integrating Climate Change
One of the key challenges in the protection of seamounts is the cumulative impact of human activities such as overfishing, habitat destruction, and climate change. In 2024, the focus on cumulative impacts—such as the long-term effects of fishing on seamounts and associated species— deepened, with increasing recognition that protection efforts must account for the full range of threats to seamounts and other VMEs.
One of the most pressing areas of concern is the integration of climate change into the broader framework for seamount protection. The effects of warming waters, ocean acidification, and shifting currents are already being felt on seamounts, where temperature-sensitive species are struggling to adapt. As the scientific community continues to uncover new data, the urgency to incorporate climate change considerations into seamount protection strategies becomes ever more apparent. By framing the protection of seamounts as not just an ecological priority, but also a climate action imperative, we can increase the urgency and commitment to safeguarding these ecosystems in the face of a changing ocean.
Mediterranean and Central Arctic: Expanding RFMO Engagement
In 2024, we strengthened and expanded our presence across deep-sea RFMOs to a total of seven, adding the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement (CAOFA) and the General Fisheries Commission of the Mediterranean (GFCM) to the campaign’s portfolio. The DSCC’s presence at deep-sea RFMOs is matched only by the European Union.
At CAOFA, we underscored the need to protect the unique and vulnerable ecosystems of the area, especially given the threats of climate change and the Central Arctic’s untouched status – the one ocean that has never been fished. At GFCM, recognising that fishing activity continues in the region, the DSCC began engaging with Contracting Parties to explore how seamounts and vulnerable marine ecosystems can best be protected.
In 2025 and beyond, we will maintain our presence across all deep-sea RFMOs to ensure consistency and progress towards global conservation and management frameworks and targets.
Shining a Light on Continued Fishing in Protected Areas
Despite advances in our understanding of seamount ecosystems and the importance of their protection, fishing continues, albeit at reduced levels, undermining the very protections that have been put in place. Throughout 2024, we worked alongside Marine Conservation Institute (MCI) and other NGO partners to analyze and call attention to continued bottom contact fishing in VME closed areas. Using peer-reviewed science and data analysis, the DSCC has so far highlighted the continuing destructive fishing patterns across EU and RFMO waters.
In doing so, we pushed for stronger implementation of science advice and RFMO mandates, particularly the obligation to prevent significant adverse impacts (SAIs) on VMEs. As we enter 2025, this work will continue to be a cornerstone of our advocacy strategy, ensuring that no progress made in 2024 is undone by complacency or insufficient enforcement.
We must continue to push for greater scientific understanding, more effective protection measures, and stronger international cooperation. Together, with science, advocacy, and the collective will of the global conservation community, we can make 2025 a year of even greater strides toward safeguarding #OceanLifelines and the biodiversity that depends on them.