Imagine standing barefoot at the edge of the sea. The tide laps over your feet, pulling tiny shells and seaweed with it. What you don’t see are the threads connecting that tide to boardrooms in New York, treaties signed by world leaders, and your own choices at home — from your breakfast plate to your trash bin.
The ocean is vast, but it’s not distant. Its well-being is entwined with our food, our weather, our future. This post explores how sweeping agreements like the High Seas Treaty flow into our everyday lives — and how our values and habits shape the tides in return.
Learn more about Why the Ocean Matters
When I was traveling in Sri Lanka, we met local fishermen who said they used to catch just enough to live — and then head home. Now, they can barely feed their families. They blamed large-scale and illegal fishing. It left me with a deep sense of unfairness — and made me rethink my own consumer choices.
What Is the High Seas Treaty?
In 2023, after nearly two decades of negotiations, nations agreed on the High Seas Treaty — a landmark effort to protect marine biodiversity beyond national waters. Covering nearly half the Earth’s surface, these “high seas” were largely unregulated until now.
This treaty introduces legal frameworks for establishing marine protected areas, conducting environmental impact assessments, and fairly sharing marine genetic resources. In short, it’s a giant leap for international cooperation on ocean health.
But what does that mean for you?
Let’s zoom in.
Why Ocean Policy Reaches Far Inland
You might be sipping coffee in a city high-rise or shopping at a local market far from any coast. Still, the ocean touches your life daily. Here’s how:
Fisheries and Food Security
The ocean provides nearly 20% of the world's animal protein. Yet overfishing and habitat destruction threaten this vital food source. The High Seas Treaty aims to curb destructive practices, allowing fish populations to recover and coastal communities to thrive.
If you eat seafood, this treaty is helping ensure your plate stays full — and sustainable.
Learn more about Overfishing: Its Consequences and Solutions
Climate Resilience
The ocean is one of our greatest climate allies. It absorbs over 90% of the excess heat caused by greenhouse gas emissions and captures around 30% of carbon dioxide. But warming waters, acidification, and pollution weaken its ability to buffer climate extremes.
Policies that protect the ocean’s health — like limiting extraction in sensitive zones — directly support global climate stability, including the seasons and storms that shape your own weather.
Coastal Tourism and Livelihoods
More than 680 million people live in low-lying coastal areas — many depending on tourism for income. Healthy marine ecosystems drive tourism, from coral reefs to clean beaches.
When international agreements protect these ecosystems, they protect livelihoods and preserve places people love to visit.
Our Influence: 5 Everyday Arenas That Matter
Policy shapes oceans. But so do people. Here are five powerful areas where your daily life intersects with the sea:
1. Food: What’s on Your Plate
Seafood is often marketed as a sustainable choice — but the reality is far more complex. Many “eco-labels,” like the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council), lack rigorous oversight. In some cases, even certified fleets have been linked to destructive practices like shark finning or illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Aquaculture (farmed fish) isn't always better. It can involve overcrowded pens, chemical treatments, and significant waste runoff — often using more wild-caught fish to feed farmed species than it produces.
While guides like the WWF Fish Guide offer helpful starting points, they rely on inconsistent or outdated data. That’s why we remain cautious about recommending seafood consumption as a primary sustainability solution.
Instead, consider reducing seafood overall, supporting small-scale local fishers if you do eat fish, and shifting toward more plant-based meals when possible. These choices ease pressure on marine ecosystems and align more closely with truly regenerative food systems.
2. Plastic: The Hidden Tide
It’s estimated that over 11 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year. From bottle caps to microfibers, much of this waste begins its journey far inland.
Simple swaps — like reusable bags, glass jars, and avoiding excess packaging — cut off that flow at the source. While no one can live 100% plastic-free, reducing where you can sends market signals and keeps wildlife safer and our environment cleaner.
3. Advocacy: Your Voice Has Power
Policy doesn’t change in a vacuum. Public demand and grassroots pressure helped bring the High Seas Treaty to life. You can be part of the ongoing wave — no law degree required.
- Sign ocean-related petitions (link)
- Share ocean news on your platforms
- Follow and amplify the work of marine NGOs
- Vote with oceans in mind
Even conversations with friends plant seeds. When more people care, leaders notice.
4. Travel: Tread Lightly Near the Coast
If you're lucky enough to visit the sea, be mindful of your impact. Use reef-safe sunscreen, avoid single-use plastics, respect wildlife, and choose eco-conscious accommodations. Traveling by train or offsetting your flights when possible also helps reduce emissions that harm ocean health.
Intentional travel transforms tourism from a stressor to a support system.
5. Community: Be the Root of Change
Change can be as simple as talking with friends, sharing what you’ve learned, or speaking up on social media. Text your favorite brand to ask about their sourcing. Mention ocean issues in a dinner chat. Teach your kids where fish come from. Every honest conversation and shared story helps build awareness — and that’s where real change begins.
Every action creates a ripple. And enough ripples make waves.
Progress, Not Perfection
If sustainability feels overwhelming, you’re not alone. Many of us grapple with the question: does this small action really matter?
The truth? It does — especially when we let go of the need to be perfect.
You don’t have to compost perfectly or avoid all plastic. You just have to show up with intention. Progress over perfection is not just a motto; it’s a movement. One that allows more people to join in.
Celebrate your efforts. Share what you're learning. And remember: change is contagious.
You don’t need to live on a coast to feel the pull of the sea. Maybe it’s the shell you found as a kid. A documentary that stirred something in you. The salty breeze on your last trip.
We each hold an ocean memory. And that emotional tether can become a source of motivation — not guilt. Reflecting on that connection helps root our actions in love, not fear.
Ask yourself:
- What moment made the ocean feel real to me?
- What kind of world do I want future generations to inherit?
- What’s one thing I can do this week to align with that vision?
That’s where meaningful change begins.
Let’s Be Part of Change
The High Seas Treaty is a beacon of what’s possible when nations collaborate for a common good. But treaties don’t float alone — they need people to carry the spirit forward.
Whether you’re biking through a city, parenting small humans, running a business, or tending a garden, the ocean needs you. And your choices are part of a much larger story.
Reflect. Share. Stay connected with Tides and Roots. Together, we’re part of something beautiful.
