Urge the Senate to Ratify the Law of the Sea
The Senate could soon decide whether the United States should sign on to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, also known simply as the Law of the Sea treaty. The treaty will help expand protections for our planet’s oceans, and becoming a party to the treaty would help the United States influence major upcoming international debates concerning ocean activities.
The treaty’s environmental provisions cover all aspects of the marine environment, including fishing, pollution, offshore mining and oil and gas exploration; such activities can have major impacts and often require international management. For example, with rapidly accelerating summer melting of Arctic sea ice, new proposals for shipping, oil and gas exploration and other harmful activities are multiplying. Ratifying the Law of the Sea treaty would give the United States a seat at the table in discussions surrounding the future of the Arctic and protection of its marine and coastal wildlife.
One hundred fifty-seven nations have already ratified the Law of the Sea, including every major industrialized nation other than the United States. These countries are making decisions that affect ocean health and key economic and national security interests; the United States should be a full participant in these decisions.