The Importance of Collaboration and Political Will for the Protection of Highly Migratory Species in the High Seas

The effective management of leatherback turtles and other highly migratory species requires strong collaboration between governments and a strong political will to utilize shared resources for improved vigilance, governance, and protection in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Dr. Shillinger, a leading expert in marine conservation, emphasizes the need for this collaboration and political will in order to ensure the long-term survival and persistence of these threatened species.

To learn more about the high seas, check out this episode of Blue Planet on the high seas, take a look at the High Seas Alliance Treaty factsheet, or read Autumn Lynn-Harrison’s article “The political biogeography of migratory marine predators.”

Sources:

• Gu, J. (2023, March 30). The High Seas Treaty, explained. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/graphics/GLOBAL-ENVIRONMENT/OCEANS/jnvwyjomdvw/
• Harrison, AL., Costa, D.P., Winship, A.J. et al. The political biogeography of migratory marine predators. Nat Ecol Evol 2, 1571–1578 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-018-0646-8
• High Seas map data from the Flanders Marine Institute (2020). Maritime Boundaries Geodatabase: High Seas, version 1. Available online at https://www.marineregions.org/. https://doi.org/10.14284/418