Following the entry into force of the global High Seas Ocean Treaty, the Sustainable Markets Initiative — founded by His Majesty King Charles III — has launched the Ocean Stewardship Initiative to mobilise private-sector participation in ocean conservation.
The initiative’s first priority is to support the establishment of one of the world’s largest Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Antarctica, building on long-standing efforts under the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to protect 70% of the Antarctic Peninsula.
The Ocean Stewardship Initiative provides a structured platform for companies to engage constructively with governments and civil society, translating global ocean commitments into implementable action while balancing conservation objectives with the sustainable use of marine resources.
The MPA will be established alongside a modern science-based krill fishery management framework, which will increase ecosystem monitoring and spread out the fishery effort in the area that remains open and regulated for fisheries.
The Ocean Stewardship Initiative seeks to mobilise private sector engagement in support of effective Ocean governance, encompassing marine protection and science-based fisheries management.
The initiative has been developed in partnership with Aker BioMarine and Aker QRILL Company, with advice from the Marine Stewardship Council.
If approved, the Marine Protected Area, as proposed in CCAMLR by Argentina and Chile, would be among the world’s largest no-take zones and would protect Antarctic mammals and cover nearly half a million square kilometres of the Southern Ocean.
The proposal would increase the total area of the Antarctic Ocean protected by up to 15%, making a considerable contribution to the global commitment to protect 30% of the Ocean by 2030.
Delivering results through industry engagement
By demonstrating success through industry leadership in Antarctica, the Ocean Stewardship Initiative will create a playbook to accelerate improvements in fisheries management and the implementation of marine protected areas globally.
The initiative will enable companies to engage with governments and other stakeholder groups to identify solutions and deliver meaningful results.
This effort builds on years of work by governments, scientists, non-governmental organisations and fishing companies to improve fisheries management and advance marine protection, recognising that greater coordination is needed to accelerate delivery at scale.
It recognises that durable outcomes depend on alignment across sectors.
"The private sector has a decisive role in shaping the Ocean economy," said Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO of the Sustainable Markets Initiative.
"Governments set the rules, but delivery depends on capital, companies and supply chains moving in the same direction with a default sustainable mindset."
"This initiative is about private sector leadership aligning Ocean-based value creation with conservation, sustainable fisheries management and meeting the world’s 30 x 30 target."
"We hope that private sector support for the CCAMLR MPA and krill fisheries management framework can serve as a model for similar efforts around the world."
The initiative comes amid growing geopolitical uncertainty, underscoring the need for a stronger role for industry in translating commitments into action.
"For fishing companies, this is no longer a question of whether Marine Protected Areas will happen," said Matts Johansen, CEO of Aker BioMarine and chair of Aker QRILL Company.
"The real question is whether industry chooses to engage constructively and be part of the solution, or remain on the sidelines while the rules are shaped without its involvement."
Stewardship as a foundation for Ocean action
The Marine Stewardship Council was founded to recognise and incentivise sustainable fishing and to catalyse private sector-led improvements in fisheries management and practices.
"Effective Ocean management requires stewardship of the entirety of our Ocean built on science, transparency and accountability," said Rupert Howes, CEO of the Marine Stewardship Council.
"Strong protection measures and well-managed fisheries go hand in hand and both are essential to the future of the Ocean."
"Given the unique ecological importance of the Southern Oceans, there is a compelling case for this government-proposed MPA with multistakeholder support from both industry and NGOs."