Spending the last few months carving pieces for Mermaid’s Cove has had me thinking a lot about the ocean. Today is World Ocean Day, so it felt timely to share some of what’s been on my mind.

The focus for World Ocean Day 2026 is Marine Protected Areas. These are the parts of the ocean where human activity is legally restricted to protect the marine ecosystem. Technically, 10% of the ocean is officially designated as protected, but in practice, only 3.3% have restrictions strong enough to actually prevent extraction and destruction. World leaders to have committed to 30% by 2030 using the High Sea’s Treaty.

The High Seas Treaty came into force in January, to protect the ocean beyond national borders. Two thirds of the ocean sit outside any country’s jurisdiction, which previously made it ungovernable. Any nation could fish, mine, drill, or dump there with almost no legal consequence. The treaty aims to change that by establishing protected areas in international waters for the first time. Proposed in 2023, it was finally implemented this January once 60 nations had ratified it. However, the U.S, Russia and China have refused to participate, and as they are some of the largest offending nations, the efficacy of this treaty without universal adoption is up for debate.

The industries doing the most damage to our oceans are industrial fishing and fossil fuels. Close to 2 trillion animals are pulled from the ocean every year by commercial fishing fleets. Many of which are protected, endangered, undersized, pregnant or not commercially viable, marked down as ‘bycatch’ and discarded as waste. Abandoned fishing nets alone make up at least 46% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Fossil fuel companies have driven ocean temperatures to record highs nine years running. If coral reefs continue on their current trajectory, 90% could be gone by 2050.

Industrial fishing exists because there is demand for it. Governments subsidise it to the tune of tens of billions of dollars a year, keeping fleets on the water long past the point where the catch is profitable, because people want to eat what they produce. While the demand is there, regardless of the long term consequences, the industry will continue to receive government support.

If you want to do something today:

- Sign the 30x30 petition at worldoceanday.org is a direct line to the policymakers who need to hear it

- Learn about The Ocean Foundation at oceanfdn.org, they fund the legal and scientific work that holds these industries to account

- Remove sea creatures from your plate and shopping cart, supply = demand. Don’t give them a reason to fish.

- Watch Seaspiracy on Netflix

Georgia x