“We Will Not Wait”: Country Meets Goal to Protect Its Ocean Eight Years Early

Colombia sets an example by becoming the very first country in the Western Hemisphere to fulfill the 30×30 agreement of securing 30% of its ocean territory by creating four new protected areas – eight years before the deadline.

“And before August of this year, 30% of our national territory will be declared a protected area, eight years ahead of the global goal,” announced Colombia’s outgoing President Iván Duque earlier this year. “We will not wait until 2030 to do so… there is no Planet B.” 

In order to protect biodiversity and prevent the degradation of close to a third of its oceans, Colombia is enforcing preservation measures including a ban on fishing and oil exploration. More than 100 countries have agreed to protect 30% of their ocean by 2030 and according to the Seattle-based nonprofit organization Marine Conservation Institute, so far, less than 8% of the world’s oceans are protected. The other eight countries with Pacific coasts – the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Chile, and Peru – have all vowed to work faster and collaborate more to do their part in protecting ocean areas.