Late last night, after two weeks of intense negotiations, delegates meeting at the United Nations finally agreed to language for a High Seas Treaty. This is a major milestone in a nearly two-decade effort to secure a treaty to govern and protect the High Seas, which make up 70% of the ocean and cover nearly half the planet. More than 160,000 supporters spoke up and urged leaders to act. This public support, along with the great work of partners like RISE UP, the High Seas Alliance, Greenpeace, and more, helped show decision-makers that people all over the world were watching and wanted action — and they delivered. There is still more work to do, as nations will now need to formally adopt the language and ratify the treaty at the country level. We will continue to keep you updated on campaign developments and the critical moments where we need your support.
What you need to know
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) is pushing forward a massive expansion dredging project at Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades. Under current plans, intensive construction, set to begin in 2028, would unleash plumes of sediment pollution that could smother millions of corals and hundreds of acres of reef.
Miami Waterkeeper spent over a decade working to hold the Corps accountable for the damage caused during the last major dredging project at PortMiami, just 30 miles away, in 2013-2015. The disastrous dredge buried over 278 acres of reef and killed millions of corals — and most of the damage was never repaired. After reviewing the Corps’ environmental strategy, Miami Waterkeeper has determined that the proposed Port Everglades project would be an even bigger disaster, leaving many protections on the table by refusing to apply lessons from PortMiami or implement proven approaches to minimize the damage.
