An ocean conservation advisory body has been launched marking a new chapter in a campaign to secure lasting protections for the Sargasso Sea surrounding Bermuda.

The Greenpeace Sargasso Sea Advisory Council was convened by Bermudian-Canadian activist Noelle Young on behalf of Greenpeace at an event at The Loren at Pink Beach.

It aims to unite community voices in support of a shared vision for stronger protection of the high seas area and a more formal role for Bermuda in shaping its stewardship.

A main objective is to gain institutional support from the Bermuda Government, the British Government and the United Nations for the establishment of a marine sanctuary throughout the Sargasso Sea in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

The council will work to ensure that the sanctuary “safeguards Bermuda’s natural environment, is grounded in strong community support and guarantees that Bermuda is formally appointed to any governing body overseeing the marine protected area’s management and stewardship”.

Ms Young said the campaign to protect the Sargasso Sea has grown steadily through research, public engagement, political advocacy and international collaboration.

She added: “The launch of the Sargasso Sea Advisory Council is an important milestone in this campaign rooted in Bermudian stewardship, international collaboration and the urgent need to protect one of the world’s most unique ecosystems.

“The United Nations has been explicit — local communities must be part of this process. Not consulted after the fact. Not thanked for their input and politely set aside. Actually engaged in it long term, at the table, in the room, helping to shaping the decisions.

“The UN's statements aren't just nice sentiments.

“They are recognition of something that science, history and common sense all tell us, that the people who live closest to an ecosystem have the deepest knowledge of it and must be central to decisions made about how it is governed.

“Our knowledge and lived experience is not a supplement to the process. It's essential to it.”

Since 2024, local and international partners have worked to strengthen the case for the Sargasso Sea to become one of the first marine protected areas advanced under the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, also known as the United Nations High Seas Treaty.

Bermuda cannot ratify the treaty independently of Britain, which has not yet formally done so.

In February, the UK’s BBNJ Bill received Royal Assent making it an Act, which brings the country closer to ratifying the agreement.

Attendees of the advisory council launch event included the campaign’s supporters with partners, scientists, advocates and community members.

Ms Young said that momentum has been building since Greenpeace’s Arctic Sunrise arrived in Bermuda in May 2024.

The visit helped convene scientists, fishers, youth voices, civil society representatives and political stakeholders around the shared goal of advancing protection for the Sargasso Sea under the treaty.

Chris Thorne, a senior oceans campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: “Greenpeace came to Bermuda in 2024 to work alongside Bermudians, to research, to listen, to learn and to help strengthen a community-led call for the protection of the Sargasso Sea.

“The visit was about building relationships and supporting local leadership.”

Ms Young said the formation of the council reflects a commitment to ensuring that efforts remain science led and community driven.

She added: “Bermuda has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to claim that seat. To be present at the beginning of this process — not playing catch-up later, not watching from the sidelines as others make decisions about our sea.”

The group aims to expand the council in the future, make meeting notes publicly available and create meaningful opportunities for public participation to ensure the process remains transparent, inclusive and grounded in community engagement.

Bermuda has long championed the protection of the Sargasso Sea through the Hamilton Declaration, signed by the island in 2014, and Hamilton Declaration II this year to gain international support for the protection of a vast area of the surrounding waters, as well as the work of the Sargasso Sea Commission.