Public signings of a community-led declaration to make sure that Bermuda’s voice is heard in future ocean conservation decisions are to take place next week.

Noelle Young established the Sargasso Sea Advisory Council, an independent advocacy initiative, to help amplify the island’s community voice in protecting the Sargasso Sea.

The council is hosting Handprints for the High Seas at City Hall in an event complementing the official signing of the Hamilton II Declaration taking place at a ceremony at Government House on Monday.

Its Bermudian High Seas Legacy Declaration opens by saying: “The Sargasso Sea has shaped Bermuda’s past.

“Now the people of Bermuda must be allowed to help shape its future.”

The Hamilton II Declaration is a joint initiative by the governments of Bermuda and the United Kingdom to build global support for protecting the Sargasso Sea under the new United Nation’s Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement.

Ms Young’s offer for public signing of the council’s declaration will take place at City Hall on October 21 and October 22 from midday to 6pm, and October 23 from midday to 3pm.

On October 23 at 4pm, organisers will carry a 12 foot by 20 foot fabric declaration through the streets of Hamilton, in a public procession from City Hall to the Government Administration Building, where it will be formally presented to the Government.

Ms Young said: “My hope is that one day I will carry this declaration into the halls of the United Nations and physically present them with this show of hands from the people of Bermuda.

“Every handprint represents a voice, a person and a community that deserves to be heard.

“I want those people abroad who are involved in making decisions about the sea around our home to see, with their own eyes, that Bermuda's people are not standing on the sidelines.

“We are here and we intend to be part of the conversations.

“The purpose of this initiative is to be proactive rather than reactive.

“We cannot afford to wait until decisions are already being made about the waters surrounding Bermuda before our community is asked for its opinion.”

Ms Young said she was proud that the council was recently accepted into the High Seas Alliance, an international coalition working to fairly advance the protection of the high seas, and is actively engaged in the implementation of the BBNJ Agreement, also known as the High Seas Treaty, at the United Nations.

“It will create valuable opportunities for our community’s perspectives to directly reach those involved in international decision-making processes,” she said.

The UK formally ratified the High Seas Treaty on July 10. It could not be ratified independently of Britain by Bermuda, as a subcontinental island jurisdiction.

Phoebe Barboza-Bellamy, the director of operations at Waterstart, an island charity that promotes environmental awareness through outdoor education, said she recognised that meaningful protection of the high seas required sustained collaboration and political commitment.

“The UK ratifying the High Seas Treaty is an important step forward and we now have an opportunity to turn that international momentum into meaningful action for the Sargasso Sea.

“Establishing protection is one part of the challenge, but ensuring Bermuda has a seat at the table and a lasting role in its management is equally important.”

Destiny-Amor Matthie, the founder of Ocean Pathways Network, and a youth member of the council, said that lasting change relied on community involvement.

“As Bermudians, we have an opportunity to contribute to the conversations and decisions that will shape our ocean, our way of life and, ultimately, our legacy,” she added.

Adam Farrell, a Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce board member, said he believed the goals of the declaration were achievable if the stakeholders can “look past the politics and red tape, embrace the long-term good and make it happen”.

He added: “This needs local support. People need to know how big a deal this is for the island and to care what happens ‘in our backyard’.”

Alexandra Amat is an oceanographer, conservationist and educator, and the founder of Blue Backyard, an initiative dedicated to reconnecting young people with the ocean through environmental programmes.

She said: “The advisory council acts as a bridge between high-level governmental decisions, which may feel remote from what is actually happening on the ground, and the public.

“Our role is to encourage people to get involved, help them understand what is at stake and ensure their voices are heard. But it is also about respectfully holding decision-makers accountable and encouraging them to turn commitments into meaningful legislation and action.

“If we care about the legacy we leave to our children, we must care about the ocean that surrounds us.”

The Fishermen’s Association of Bermuda also voiced support, saying: “It is vital for fishers to be part of any goal-setting discussions before major decisions are made.

“We are excited to be partners in advocating for marine sustainability.”

The Hamilton II Declaration, separate from the Bermudian High Seas Legacy Declaration, builds on a first Hamilton Declaration that created the Sargasso Sea Commission and aims to protect the Sargasso Sea under the High Seas Treaty.

The official signing ceremony of the Hamilton II Declaration is scheduled to take place in Bermuda on October 19.

Uma Kumaran, the British Minister of State for the Overseas Territories, the Caribbean and Global Technology, will make her inaugural trip to Bermuda in time for the signing.