New report warns of $14.6 billion ocean protection shortfall – but highlights trillion-dollar opportunity

• Just $1.2 billion currently flows to marine protection annually – yet investing $15.8 billion per year could unlock $85 billion in annual returns and avoided costs by 2050. 
• Progress on marine protection globally is dangerously off pace, while the percentage of the world’s ocean that is effectively protected has declined.

NICE, FRANCE – As world leaders prepare to gather at the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice next week, a major new report warns that global marine protection efforts are critically underfunded – threatening ocean health, livelihoods, food security and global prosperity.

The Ocean Protection Gap: Assessing Progress toward the 30×30 Target, launched today by a consortium of nature NGOs and funders, reveals that just $1.2 billion a year currently flows to ocean protection efforts – a fraction of the $15.8 billion needed annually to deliver the world’s most ambitious conservation target: protecting and conserving at least 30% of the ocean by 2030. That shortfall represents just ~0.5% of annual global defence budgets.

Alarmingly, progress on marine protection globally is too slow and at risk of stalling. Only 8.6% of the ocean is reported as protected, and just 2.7% is assessed and found to be effectively protected – meaning there are regulations and active management in place to ensure minimal or no damaging activities – with the latter a decline from last year. 

The flagship report – authored by Systemiq and produced in partnership with the Bloomberg Ocean Fund, SkyTruth, Marine Conservation Institute, Campaign for Nature, WWF International and RISE UP in association with the Together for the Ocean campaign – introduces a new framework to assess the global shortfall in ocean protection, breaking it into three component gaps: finance, ambition and implementation.

The findings are clear: the world is falling dangerously short on delivering 30×30 – closing these gaps is not only vital to ocean health, it’s an economic imperative critical to long-term climate resilience and food security. Protecting 30% of the ocean could unlock around $85 billion per year by 2050 in avoided costs and annual returns from just three key benefits alone: preserving natural coastal defences, avoiding carbon emissions from seagrass loss, and restoring overexploited fisheries. 

Brianna Fruean, Pacific climate leader and Together for the Ocean Ambassador, stated: “For many of us, the ocean is identity, culture, and home. We cannot afford promises that remain on paper while our coral reefs bleach, our fisheries decline, and our coastlines wash away. We need real protection, now – and we need investment that empowers communities on the frontlines of change.”

Closing the finance gap

The report emphasizes the urgent need for high income countries to deliver on their promise to deliver $30 billion a year in international biodiversity finance to developing countries by 2030. It also shows that meeting the financing needed to protect 30% of the ocean would only cost nearly $15.8 billion annually – just two-thirds of what the world spends on harmful fishing subsidies. Yet just $1.2 billion is currently being spent, less than 10% of what’s needed. Repurposing fishing subsidies from just 10 countries could fully fund global ocean protection efforts. In addition, six proven financing tools – including blue bonds and debt-for-nature swaps – could unlock $18 billion in new capital. Countries like Belize, Indonesia and Barbados are already leading by example – now the rest of the world must step up. 

Brian O’Donnell, Director of Campaign for Nature, which led on the finance gap analysis, commented: “Protecting the ocean is no longer just an ecological imperative – it’s an economic one. For just $15.8 billion a year, we can protect one of our planet’s most valuable assets while avoiding costs and unlocking long-term returns in the tens of billions. Official Development Assistance (ODA) budgets, which represent government aid to support global development, are under significant pressure. As countries prioritize spending on initiatives that deliver clear benefits, investing in ocean protection offers a powerful opportunity to protect some of the most vulnerable communities in the world while also generating sustainable economic and social returns worldwide.”

The Implementation Gap: Falling behind and rolling back

The report warns that effective marine protection is not only lagging – it’s backsliding. In April 2025, the U.S. government rolled back fishing restrictions in the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, a move that reduced global levels of fully and highly protected ocean area by 0.3% overnight – erasing critical progress.

Just two countries – Palau and the United Kingdom – have effectively protected more than 30% of their waters (although effectively protected areas in UK waters are overwhelmingly located in remote, overseas territories). High seas protection is further behind still: only 1.5% of the area beyond national jurisdiction is currently safeguarded. Fortunately, the BBNJ Agreement, commonly known as the High Seas Treaty, provides the world’s first legal framework to create Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the high seas. With 60 ratifications required for the treaty to enter into force this year, it is critical that countries that have yet to ratify move swiftly to complete this foundational step.

Beth Pike, Director of Marine Protection Atlas at Marine Conservation Institute, said: “This is a pivotal moment to raise our ambition on ocean protection. We cannot afford further backsliding – the world must urgently close the gap between promises and real, effective action. The ocean is a shared global good, and the burden of protecting it must not fall disproportionately on the countries and communities most vulnerable to climate change and most dependent on a healthy marine environment.” 

Ambition for people and nature: a turning tide at UNOC?

The adoption of national biodiversity plans and setting of clear national marine protection targets still remain off pace for meeting 30×30. Only a quarter of high-income coastal countries have set timebound 30×30 aligned targets for ocean conservation, despite having the greatest capacity to act. Without stronger leadership from these countries, global efforts risk stalling further.

The report sends a clear signal ahead of the upcoming UNOC: governments cannot afford to underinvest in ocean protection. The conference will be a critical opportunity to build momentum particularly around the ratification and effective implementation of the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement and progress towards a more comprehensive fisheries subsidies agreement, ratifying the High Seas Treaty, and promoting a science-based, inclusive and equitable approach to ocean protection.

“The Ocean Protection Gap report is a wake-up call,” said Pepe Clarke, Oceans Practice Leader at WWF International, which contributed to the analysis of the ambition gap. “We have the science, the tools, and a global agreement, but without bold political leadership and a rapid scaling of ambition, funding, and implementation, the promise of 30×30 will remain unfulfilled. Conserving 30% of our ocean by 2030 is not just a target — it’s a lifeline for communities, food security, biodiversity, and the global economy.”

UNOC must mark a decisive moment. The report urges countries and financial institutions to step up with five priority actions:

1. Recognize the value of the ocean by integrating it within national development strategies and economic plans, together with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Action Plans (NAPs) and National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs). 
2. Act collaboratively with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, ensuring they are involved in marine protection efforts, recognizing and respecting their rights and knowledge.
3. Rapidly advance and ratify key international agreements like the BBNJ and WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreements to prohibit subsidies for overfishing, create legal frameworks for high seas biodiversity, and advance future high seas MPA proposals.
4. Adopt and deliver 30×30 targets that prioritize quality and effectiveness alongside quantity. Standardized data and transparent reporting on coverage and effectiveness will inform progress, boost accountability, and guide future action.
5. Scale tailored financing mechanisms – from debt swaps and subsidy reform to targeted public and philanthropic investment.

Jonathan Kelsey, Director of the Bloomberg Ocean Fund, commented: “The ocean protection gap is alarming. At our current pace, we’ll protect just a third of our global 30% goal by 2030. We need more meaningful protection, not paper parks. UNOC is a critical opportunity for governments to narrow this gap with concrete actions, including ending the allowance of destructive activities in marine protected areas and increasing financing that truly delivers on their ocean promises. We need to see bold action – healthy oceans sustain all life on Earth.”

The report utilizes the latest data from the Marine Conservation Institute’s Marine Protection Atlas (MPAtlas) and from SkyTruth’s 30×30 Progress Tracker (which draws on data from MPAtlas, the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), ProtectedSeas, Global Fishing Watch and other sources), combined with case study research, scientific literature and expert interviews.

Sivaja Nair, Program Manager, RISE UP, stated: “UNOC must close the gap on local leadership. Indigenous Peoples and local communities, who have safeguarded ocean ecosystems for generations, must be centered in decision-making and equitably share in the benefits of ocean protection.”

John Amos, Founder, SkyTruth, added: “Transparency and accountability must drive the next wave of ocean protection. We need to scale up efforts to increase ocean monitoring tech and hold leaders and industries accountable. Without stronger, coordinated leadership and systematic, independent verification global progress will stall and the gap will only widen.”

For more information, interviews, and images, please contact: [email protected]

NOTES FOR EDITORS

• ‘The Ocean Protection Gap: Assessing Progress toward the 30×30 Target’ is available on request, and is authored by Systemiq and released in partnership with the Together for the Ocean campaign, WWF International, Campaign for Nature, SkyTruth, Marine Conservation Institute, Bloomberg Ocean Fund, and RISE UP.
• The report builds on the 2024 “On Track or Off Course?” report, which revealed that only 2.8% of the ocean was effectively protected.
• Last year’s report, On Track or Off Course, stated that 2.8% of the ocean was assessed and deemed effectively protected according to the Marine Protection Atlas. Progress made before the US announcement brought this figure to 3%. Today, this has dropped down to 2.7% as a result of the rollback of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument.
• The financing need for marine protected areas (MPAs) in national waters was based on Waldron et al. (2022) , with constant 2015 US dollar values adjusted for inflation to 2023 using World Bank data. High seas MPA costs were based on Blue Nature Alliance’s 2022 analysis, also adjusted to 2023 values. Due to limited data on how MPA costs vary by country and over time, the final estimate of $15.8 billion per year may slightly over – or underestimate true costs. 
• The report reveals that investing $15.8 billion per year could unlock $85 billion in annual returns and avoided costs by 2050. This figure represents a baseline for what could be achieved from just three key benefits alone: preserving natural coastal defences, avoiding carbon emissions from seagrass loss, and restoring overexploited fisheries. The potential benefits are likely to be significantly higher – hence the reference to a trillion-dollar opportunity in the headline.
• Total ocean conservation figures are from WDPA, data correct as of 2nd June 2025. Effective protection figures have been calculated from Marine Conservation Institute, Marine Protection Atlas, data correct as of 25 April 2025. 
• Note that the report recommends for all countries to ensure fully collaborative planning processes involving Indigenous Peoples and coastal local communities in the establishment and management of protected areas, recognizing and respecting their rights and knowledge, and ensuring benefit sharing from the upside of ocean protection. 

About Bloomberg Ocean Initiative

The Bloomberg Ocean Initiative is Bloomberg Philanthropies’ effort to protect the world’s ocean from climate change, overfishing, and pollution threats. The initiative supports local and global partners in advocating for data-driven solutions, community involvement, and policy change that can help safeguard marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, and the billions of people who depend on them. Learn more here.

About Campaign for Nature

Campaign for Nature is a not-for-profit organisation whose aim is to: support the successful implementation of the ambitious global goal to protect 30% of the world’s land and sea by 2030; ensure that biodiversity conservation is conducted in a way that fully integrates and respects Indigenous peoples rights and leadership; help mobilise financial resources to ensure protected areas are properly managed in perpetuity. For more information, visit https://www.campaignfornature.org/. 

About Marine Conservation Institute

Founded in 1996, Marine Conservation Institute works in the U.S. and globally to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030—for us and future generations. We focus on safeguarding the ocean’s most vital areas by identifying and advocating for strong marine protected areas (MPAs), enhancing laws and tools to conserve marine biodiversity, recognizing excellence in MPAs through our Blue Parks initiative, and providing accurate reporting on global conservation efforts via our Marine Protection Atlas (MPAtlas.org). For more information, visit marine-conservation.org.

About RISEUP

RISE UP is a global network of over 700 organizations committed to ensuring that ocean decision-making processes and policies are shaped by the communities most affected by them. We focus on uniting and amplifying the voices of small-scale fishers and Indigenous groups and  grassroots ocean conservation organizations in international decision-making spaces. We work with allied policymakers, decision-makers, and other partners to ensure that the voices of ocean-dependent communities are heard at the highest levels. For more information, visit us riseupfortheocean.org

About Systemiq

Systemiq, the systems change company, was founded in 2016 to drive the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement by transforming markets and business models in five key systems: nature and food; materials and circularity; energy; urban areas; and sustainable finance. A certified B Corp, Systemiq combines strategic advisory services with high-impact, on-the-ground work, and partners with business, finance, policymakers and civil society to deliver systems change. Learn more at: systemiq.earth

About SkyTruth

SkyTruth is a nonprofit environmental watchdog that uses satellite imagery and remote sensing data to identify and monitor threats to the planet’s natural resources. Its stated mission is to “share the view from space to promote conservation for people and the planet.” For more information, visit https://skytruth.org/

About Together for the Ocean

A global campaign advocating for ocean protection by uniting stakeholders who share common goals. Founding partners are Bloomberg Ocean Fund, Blue Nature Alliance, Campaign for Nature and National Geographic Pristine Seas.

Participating organizations are: Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, Blue Alliance, Blue Marine Foundation, Blue Ventures, Conservation International, Coral Reefs of the High Seas,  Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, EarthEcho, Fauna & Flora International, Global Fishing Watch, High Seas Alliance, International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity, Marine Conservation Institute, Oceana, Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance, Natural Resource Defense Council, Oceans 5, Only One, Rare, Rise Up, SkyTruth, Wildlife Conservation Society and WWF. Visit https://for-the-ocean.org/. 

About WWF

WWF is an independent conservation organization, with over 30 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Visit www.panda.org/news for the latest news and media resources and follow us on BlueSky @media.panda.org.