Bermuda and Britain can play a leading role in safeguarding critical marine ecosystems, it was said during a workshop by Greenpeace UK and its Bermudian partners.

The event was held to reflect on progress over the past year and to plan for next steps in the campaign to support the creation of a high seas marine sanctuary in the Sargasso Sea under the United Nations Global Ocean Treaty.

It included participants from civil society, science and industry backgrounds to review accomplishments and identify new opportunities for collaboration.

Chris Thorne, a senior oceans campaigner for Greenpeace UK, outlined the team’s efforts over the past year, including political outreach, media engagement and public mobilisation in Britain to advocate for treaty ratification and high seas protections.

Noelle Young, a Bermudian Greenpeace consultant, shared her continued work advocating for the island’s environmental protection on global platforms.

Highlights included her participation in the United Nations 29th Conference of the Parties and her keynote address at the Greenpeace parliamentary event in London.

While in attendance there, Ms Young engaged directly with British officials at the House of Commons, emphasising Britain’s responsibility towards its Overseas Sub-National Island Jurisdiction Territories.

She underscored the shared heritage between the two countries and authored the foreword to Greenpeace’s recent report, Sargasso Sea: A Sea of Opportunity.

The group presented upcoming campaign strategies, including parliamentary engagement, strategic communications and building broader public and political support.

Robbie Smith, a local marine biologist and Sargasso Sea commissioner, said that Greenpeace's visit to Bermuda in 2024 resulted in a “compelling” report that articulates the value of putting effective conservation measures in place in the Sargasso Sea.

Dr Smith said: “I look forward to learning of their plans for future advocacy and how this can support the decade or more of important research and preparatory work the Sargasso Sea Commission has already done, as we prepare for the steps to follow the ratification of the BBNJ [Global Ocean] Treaty."

Jamie Walsh, a workshop participant and the secretary of the Fishermen’s Association of Bermuda, said: “The FAB supports the collaborative effort to promote sustainability within the Sargasso Sea and the greater Atlantic community.

“For the Sargasso Sea Sanctuary, or any marine-protected area to be successful, fishers must be included as partners in stewardship."

The FAB has campaigned against the formation of an MPA in Bermuda at this time, saying that more data is required before its establishment.

The Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Programme proposes that at least 20 per cent of Bermuda’s exclusive economic zone becomes a marine-protected area free of fishing.

The Progressive Labour Party platform, released in February, proposed to “pause” the implementation of marine-protected areas until an agreement is met with fishermen.

Participants in the workshop, which was held in May, spoke to the need for continuing, open dialogue between both governments, non-governmental organisations and local communities.

Key priorities identified included strengthening local political commitment, increasing public awareness and broadening stakeholder engagement.

A spokesman for Greenpeace UK said: “The Sargasso Sea supports a plethora of iconic wildlife including humpback whales, dolphins and sharks.

“The floating mats of golden sargassum seaweed provide a nursery for baby sea turtles and a haven for seabirds and endangered eels on their epic migrations.

“Sadly, it is under threat from industrial fishing, climate change and the prospect of deep-sea mining.

“The Sargasso Sea must be prioritised for ocean protection to safeguard its unique biodiversity.

“We need governments to sign the Global Ocean Treaty into law without delay and to champion the Sargasso Sea as one of the first in a new generation of high seas sanctuaries under the treaty.

“The UK Government should have been leading on this but they're missing the boat.”

Greenpeace said it will continue advocating for the ratification of the treaty and amplifying local voices calling for the protection of the Sargasso Sea around Bermuda to be designated as a protected area under its framework.

An open letter to the British Foreign Secretary advocating for the protection of the Sargasso Sea is available online to sign in English and Portuguese. It is available at action.greenpeace.org.uk/sargasso-open-letter.