The High Seas Treaty took nearly 20 years to negotiate, not because countries disagreed that the ocean matters, but because ocean protection becomes much harder when money, power, access, and fairness are involved.

In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we look at why protecting the high seas is so politically difficult. From industrial fishing fleets and marine genetic resources to enforcement, ratification, and accountability, this story shows why global ocean conservation is never just about science.

The treaty creates a framework for protecting biodiversity beyond national borders, but the real test is what happens next. Will countries turn the agreement into real action, or will it become another symbolic promise?

High Seas Treaty implementation is now the real test for ocean conservation. The agreement was historic, but the hardest part was never getting countries to celebrate the deal. The real challenge is what happens after the headlines disappear.

In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin looks at whether the High Seas Treaty can actually change anything for biodiversity beyond national waters. The treaty creates a legal pathway for marine protected areas on the high seas, but enforcement, funding, political commitment, and accountability will determine whether those protected areas become meaningful or symbolic.

High seas conservation is not just about drawing lines on a map. It is about whether countries are willing to monitor activity, reduce illegal fishing, share marine genetic resources fairly, and treat the ocean as a shared responsibility instead of an unlimited resource.

Listen to the full episode. Follow How to Protect the Ocean for weekday ocean science updates.

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High seas protection sounds powerful, but can marine protected areas actually work thousands of kilometres from shore? In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin breaks down why creating protected areas beyond national waters is historic, but also incredibly difficult.

The episode explores the difference between paper parks and real protection, why enforcement matters more than most people realize, and how satellite monitoring, AIS tracking, Global Fishing Watch, political will, and long-term funding could determine whether the High Seas Treaty becomes a turning point or just another promise on paper.

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High seas conservation matters because nearly half of the planet lies beyond any one country's control. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we ask a deceptively simple question: who actually owns the ocean?

Andrew breaks down what the high seas are, why international waters have historically been treated like a free-for-all, and why that approach no longer works in a world of industrial fishing, deep-sea mining interests, global shipping, and climate change.

This episode explains why the high seas matter to tuna, sharks, whales, sea turtles, global food systems, and climate stability, and why the High Seas Treaty could become one of the most important ocean protection tools of our time.

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Forage fish may be small, but they hold Canada's ocean food web together. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin speaks with Jack Daly, marine scientist at Oceana Canada, about the new report Little Fish, Big Foundation and what it reveals about the state of forage fish across Canada.

These tiny fish, including capelin, herring, mackerel, sardines, and anchovies, feed whales, seabirds, cod, salmon, sharks, and coastal communities. But many stocks are depleted, poorly understood, or managed without the long-term planning needed to rebuild abundance.

This conversation looks at why forage fish matter, how overfishing affects the entire ocean food web, why some stocks may not recover if action comes too late, and what Canada can do to protect the small fish that so many species depend on.

Listen to the full episode to understand why protecting tiny fish may be one of the biggest steps toward rebuilding ocean abundance.

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Forage fish are some of the most important animals in the ocean, but most people barely know they exist. Sardines, anchovies, herring, capelin, and other small schooling fish support whales, seabirds, salmon, tuna, and commercial fisheries.

In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin explains why forage fish are often overlooked, why their abundance matters more than people realize, and how protecting the ocean means protecting food webs, not just the famous species we love.

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Small fish like sardines, anchovies, herring, and capelin may not get much attention, but they quietly power entire ocean ecosystems. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we explore why forage fish are some of the most important species in the sea and how climate change could disrupt the food web in ways scientists are only beginning to understand.

As oceans warm and ecosystems shift, the abundance and location of these small fish are changing. That matters because whales, salmon, tuna, seabirds, cod, and countless marine predators depend on them for survival. If forage fish decline, the impacts could ripple through fisheries, coastal communities, and ocean biodiversity worldwide.

This episode explains why these overlooked species matter more than most people realize, what scientists are seeing in the data, and why protecting the smallest fish in the ocean may be one of the biggest conservation priorities of the future.

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Forage fish may be small, but they help hold the ocean food web together. Species like sardines, anchovies, herring, capelin, and sand lance feed whales, seabirds, salmon, cod, tuna, and many other predators.

In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin explains why fishing these small fish for fishmeal, fish oil, aquaculture feed, livestock feed, pet food, and supplements can create major ripple effects across marine ecosystems.

The big question is not only whether forage fish populations can survive fishing pressure. It is whether the ocean can survive losing too much of the food that keeps predators alive.

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Forage fish may be small, but they help power the entire ocean food web. Species like sardines, anchovies, herring, capelin, and sand lance feed whales, seabirds, tuna, salmon, and many other marine predators.

In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin explains why these overlooked fish matter so much, what happens when they decline, and why industrial fishing, climate change, and weak ecosystem-based fisheries decisions can put entire marine ecosystems at risk.

Protecting the ocean is not only about saving the biggest animals. Sometimes, it starts with protecting the smallest fish.

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Ocean conservation funding is one of the biggest challenges facing nonprofits today. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin speaks with nonprofit consultant James Misner about why so many mission-driven organizations struggle to raise money, even when their work is urgent and important.

James explains why grants alone are not enough, why donors need to see the human connection behind ocean conservation, and why storytelling, relationships, and clear communication matter just as much as the science. This conversation is essential for ocean nonprofits, conservation professionals, science communicators, and anyone trying to build long-term support for protecting the ocean.

Connect with James: Website: https://thekiposgroup.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesmisner/

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Need help with your ocean non-profit, company, or project? Get the help you need with Pisces Oceans Inc.: https://www.piscesoceans.ca Connect with Speak Up For Blue Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@speakupforblue Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc YouTube: www.speakupforblue.com/youtube