Watered down: why negotiators at Cop15 are barely mentioning the ocean

With only two mentions of the word ‘ocean’ in the latest 5,000-word working agreement, delegates fear marine biodiversity is being sacrificed

The ocean may cover 70% of the Earth’s surface and contain much of its animal life, but you might not get that impression from the UN discussions in Montreal to save global biodiversity. Some delegates fear marine protections could be severely watered down or dropped entirely.

Although overfishing, global heating and acidification are considered an existential risk to what has been called “the lungs of the planet”, so far there are only two mentions of the word “ocean” in the latest 10-page, 5,000-word working agreement at Cop15. There are no specific demands to curtail fishing, protect coral reefs or stop deep-sea mining.