This is a republishing of an original article from Together for the Ocean, a non-profit committed to protecting 30% of the oceans by 2030. The author is Solomon “Uncle Sol” Kahoʻohalahala, a seventh-generation native Hawaiian from Lānaʻi, renowned for his lifelong dedication to ocean preservation and the perpetuation of Hawaiian cultural traditions. More about him is cited at the end of the article. The source link is here.
With the High Seas Treaty entering into force, Solomon Pili Kahoʻohalahala, also known as Uncle Sol, shares what needs to happen to ensure the international agreement is effectively implemented, integrating Indigenous knowledge and leadership from the very beginning.
16 January 2026
The entry into force of the High Seas Treaty is not only a legal milestone; it is a reminder that the work of caring for the ocean is ancient, patient, and shared across generations. For many of us in Hawaiʻi and across Oceania, this moment echoes responsibilities entrusted to us long before modern borders, treaties, or institutions existed.
In our creation story, the Kumulipo, life begins in the deepest, darkest depths of the ocean. From that darkness emerged the first living being – the ʻuku koʻakoʻa, the first coral polyp, our eldest ancestor. Rising through the water column, reaching the shores, spreading across the land, and lifting into the skies, this genealogy teaches us something essential. We are not separate from the ocean. We are born from it. And, because of that, we carry an inherent responsibility to care for it.
Indigenous knowledge is not symbolic or ceremonial alone; it is practical, lived, and proven over time. For generations, our people crossed the vast Pacific in voyaging canoes, guided by stars, winds, currents, and clouds. We learned how to read the ocean, how to move with it rather than against it, and how to take only what we needed so that life could continue in abundance. This knowledge connects every island nation of Oceania and reminds us that the ocean is not empty space. It is a living system that binds us together.
As the High Seas Treaty enters into force, this understanding feels more relevant than ever. What happens beyond the horizon has real consequences for life along our coasts and between our islands.
WHY THE HIGH SEAS TREATY MATTERS
The High Seas Treaty is the first legally binding global agreement dedicated to protecting biodiversity in international waters – the vast open ocean beyond national jurisdiction that covers nearly half the planet. For too long, these waters have been governed by fragmented rules that failed to prevent overfishing, pollution, and destructive activities such as deep-sea mining and bottom trawling.
At its core, the agreement provides tools to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity on the high seas, contributing to the global 30×30 goal. These include the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs), requirements for environmental impact assessments, mechanisms for sharing marine genetic resources, and commitments to capacity building and technology transfer for emerging economies.
After decades of negotiation and the achievement of reaching the required ratifications in September 2025, the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), commonly known as the High Seas Treaty, has moved from promise to reality. Entry into force marks a historic moment for ocean governance, but it is only the beginning. The true test lies in how this treaty is implemented, who leads the process, and whether it delivers meaningful protection for marine ecosystems and the coastal communities that depend on them.
For the first time, governments can collectively designate and manage large-scale protected areas in international waters, safeguarding ecologically rich habitats such as seamounts, oceanic ridges, and migratory corridors. These ecosystems are critical to ocean health and resilience, especially in the face of climate breakdown.
WHAT CHANGES AFTER ENTRY INTO FORCE?
Entry into force unlocks action. Governments can now begin formally proposing high seas MPAs, supported by scientific evidence and traditional knowledge. The Conference of the Parties (COP) will oversee implementation as the treaty’s governing body, with COP1 expected to set the tone for ambition, transparency, and inclusion.
This moment is especially significant for coastal communities. Although the high seas may seem distant, they are deeply connected to coastal livelihoods. Fish stocks migrate across boundaries, ocean currents regulate climate across the world, and damage to deep-sea ecosystems can ripple all the way to our shores. Protecting the open ocean strengthens food security, supports sustainable fisheries, and helps buffer coastal regions from climate impacts.
At the same time, the treaty provides a counterweight to growing pressure from extractive industries. As some governments and corporations push to open the deep sea to mining, the High Seas Treaty offers a pathway that prioritizes protection, science, and long-term stewardship over short-term profit.
THE ROLE OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN HIGH SEAS ACTION
Indigenous Peoples have been central to the success of the High Seas Treaty, even when our contributions were not always visible. Indigenous leaders, knowledge holders, and advocates consistently called for an ocean governance framework rooted in responsibility, intergenerational equity, and respect for living systems. These values helped shape provisions on ecosystem-based management, precaution, and inclusivity.
For many Indigenous cultures, the distinction between coastal waters and the high seas does not exist. Ocean voyaging traditions, migratory species, and ancestral responsibilities span vast distances, mirroring the wide expanse of the ocean itself. Indigenous knowledge systems offer deep insights into ocean connectivity, seasonal cycles, and sustainable relationships with the sea. Insights that are essential for effective marine protection.
Yet entry into force does not automatically guarantee Indigenous inclusion. To realize the treaty’s full potential, Indigenous Peoples and coastal communities must be meaningfully involved in MPA design, governance, monitoring, and decision-making. This includes participation in COP1 processes, recognition of Indigenous knowledge alongside Western science, and support for community-led conservation initiatives. Our cultures are rooted in reciprocity, stewardship, and long-term thinking, and these values are essential if this treaty is to succeed beyond paper and promise.
Like all successful voyages, this treaty will require unity, humility, and respect for the knowledge that has guided ocean peoples home for thousands of years.
The treaty also creates opportunities for coastal communities to influence how the high seas are managed. Environmental impact assessments can help prevent harmful activities before they begin. MPAs can protect migratory species that sustain small-scale fisheries, and capacity-building provisions can strengthen local monitoring, research, and enforcement. When implemented inclusively, these tools can reinforce community resilience and cultural continuity. They also create space for new economic pathways rooted in conservation, rather than extraction.
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOW
Celebration is important, and we honor this moment. But celebration must always be followed by responsibility. The entry into force of the High Seas Treaty must be carried forward with action that is meaningful and lasting. Nations who have not yet ratified must do so, so that all who benefit from the ocean also share in the duty to care for it. The first protected areas must be chosen with wisdom, guided by ecological importance and resilience, not by convenience.
Equally important is how we move forward together. Indigenous Peoples and coastal communities are not voices to be added at the end of the conversation. We are ocean peoples. Our knowledge comes from generations of living, voyaging, and observing the sea. We must be recognized as leaders and partners from the beginning, with processes grounded in transparency, equity, and accountability. Only then can this treaty become a living agreement, not just words on paper.
We know the ocean is vast, but it is not endless. This moment places us at a turning point. If we center Indigenous leadership and honor the knowledge of coastal communities, we can ensure that the deep ocean remains alive and abundant, not only for this generation, but for those yet to come.
When we protect the high seas, we fulfill our responsibility to our ancestors and our descendants alike. In caring for the ocean, we are caring for ourselves.
About the author
Solomon Pili Kahoʻohalahala
Solomon “Uncle Sol” Kahoʻohalahala is a seventh-generation native Hawaiian from Lānaʻi, renowned for his lifelong dedication to ocean preservation and the perpetuation of Hawaiian cultural traditions. He is nurtured in the ways of his Kūpuna (ancestors) and continues to carry on their teachings, their knowledge and experiences of all things Hawaiian with a deep respect for the people, the land, the sea and for all things in nature. He is the current Chairman and native Hawaiian Elder of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Sanctuary Advisory Council and continues to serve as the current Chair of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council and has served as Cultural Community Member of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument. He continues to participate as a longterm member of the Native Hawaiian Cultural Working Group which leads efforts to protect Hawaiʻi’s marine environments and advocates for the integration of indigenous knowledge in conservation. In the past four decades, Uncle Sol has served as an elected public official serving six years at the Maui County Council and five years at the Hawaiʻi State Legislature. He was appointed and elected Chair of the Hawaiʻi Sovereignty Commission; appointed Executive Director of the Kaho’olawe Island Reserve Commission; organized the Lānaʻi – Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana; is a crewmember of the Hōkūleʻa, a Hawaiian voyaging double-hulled canoe; and has served on numerous boards and commission at County, State, Federal and NGO levels. A crewmember of the voyaging canoe “Hōkūleʻa” since 1975, Uncle Sol has helped revive traditional navigation, strengthening the cultural and spiritual connections between Hawaiians and the deep sea. He founded the Maunalei Ahupuaʻa Community Mauka-Makai Managed Area to empower the community of Lānaʻi – especially youth – to steward their nearshore waters, ridge-to-reef lands, and to accept the inherent cultural heritage of ensuring the protection of the fragile natural and cultural resources. Through leadership, education, and community action, Uncle Sol continues to inspire efforts that honor the deep relationship between the Hawaiian people and the ocean.