U.S. Rolled Back, While Small Island Nations Propose the Largest Ocean Reserve in History
As of June 2025, just 2.7% of the global ocean is classified as fully or highly protected, according to The Marine Protection Atlas, while total marine protection is only 8.4%.
The rollback of U.S. protections in April 2025, most notably the reopening of sections of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument to commercial fishing, slashed a third of the U.S.’s strongly protected waters, effectively erasing 0.3% from the global protected area.
However, multiple positive commitments and pledges were announced during and after the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC), held from June 9 to June 13 in Nice, France.
Island Nations in the Pacific Push For Record-Breaking Ocean Protections
As of today, the Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area near Antarctica, with its area of 746,000 square miles, is the largest fully or highly protected Marine Protected Area (MPA) on Earth.
However, during the conference, The Solomon Islands and Vanuatu Governments unveiled plans to establish the Melanesian Ocean Reserve to protect 2.3 million square miles. It is roughly the size of the Amazon rainforest and would be three times larger than Ross Sea Region.
The reserve will unify the national waters of the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea. It will link them to the already protected Exclusive Economic Zone of New Caledonia, creating one of the world’s largest interconnected ocean conservation zones.
President Moetai Brotherson of French Polynesia has also announced plans for an MPA spanning nearly 1.9 million square miles. More than 420,000 square miles will be designated as highly or fully protected.
The area would include 85,000 square miles near the Society Islands and 263,000 square miles around the Gambier Islands, where all industrial activity will be prohibited.
Additional artisanal fishing zones will extend total protection to nearly 420,000 square miles, roughly twice the size of continental France.
Latin American Nations Surpassing Global Targets
Colombia, a megadiverse nation with a 1,800-mile coastline, ranks first in bird and orchid diversity and second in butterflies, freshwater fish, and amphibians.
Colombia was the first Western country to achieve the protection of 30% of its ocean territory back in 2022. Now, it is standing at 37.6%.
During this year’s Ocean Conference, it announced the creation of an additional MPA covering the remote Serranilla and Bajo Nuevo coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea. This area will span over 1,460 square miles to safeguard rich biodiversity and critical marine habitats.
Known for its shimmering salt flats and vast mountain range, Chile also announced the creation of a new MPA around the Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges that will protect 1,802 miles of an underwater mountain chain and increase protection around the Desventuradas and Juan Fernández Islands.
This newly proposed area would build on Chile’s existing commitment, adding to the 41% of its national waters already safeguarded.
Croatia and Greece Expand Marine Protections in the Mediterranean
Famed for its mesmerizing blue lakes in scenic national parks like Plitvice Lakes and Krka, Croatia is now bringing that same commitment to conservation to the sea.
During the conference, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announced that Croatia has expanded its marine protected areas from 12% to 32% of its maritime territory. “Let the ocean breathe so that life may thrive again—and humanity may catch its breath,” Plenković said.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also announced the launch of two new national marine parks, one in the Ionian Sea and another in the Southern Cyclades.
Tanzania Emerges as Africa’s Voice for Ocean Protection
Best known for its iconic safari wildlife, Tanzania now turns its attention seaward. It announced two new MPAs around Pemba Island, safeguarding over 500 square miles of vital marine ecosystems. The protected zones span the island’s northeast and southeast coasts, preserving coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, and habitats for threatened sharks and rays. The country
These announcements are encouraging but still leave the world far from the 30% by 2030 target. Will it be the small island nations, often on the frontlines of climate change, that continue to set bold examples despite limited resources? Will the United States be remembered as the nation that stepped back when the seas needed protecting most?
Syndicated from The Roam Report.
Emese Maczko is a travel blogger behind Eco Lodges Anywhere. Having explored several destinations around Europe, the US, Indonesia, and Australia, and resided in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Luxembourg, Emese possesses a keen understanding of diverse cultures and an appreciation for the beauty of each destination she visits. She advocates for sustainable travel and ecotourism.