The Leading Women for the Ocean (LWO) are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of former Prime Minster Abe. There are no words to express the sorrow and shock we feel around the tragic events that occurred on July 8^th. We send our heartfelt condolences to the former First Lady Mrs. Akie Abe and their family.

During this difficult time, we want to honor former Prime Minister Abe and celebrate his many achievements, including his strong leadership as an ocean advocate. In December 2018, he passed the revised Fisheries Act, followed by the enactment of the Fisheries Marketing Optimization Act and the G20 Osaka Summit Declaration No. 40, which declared the elimination of IUU fishing.

It was through the long-term stability brought by the Abe administration that Japan shifted towards more sustainable ocean management for the first time in 70 years. His "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision" sought to bring about a new era of maritime order, while building international cooperation.

Mrs. Akie Abe, as co-founder of the LWO and through her strong advocacy during her tenure as Former First Lady, is also a visionary in the ocean space. She has held many ocean focused symposiums over the last few years and we are honoured and privileged to be working alongside her to promote women and their crucial role in solving the ocean crisis.

We will continue with our mission to protect the ocean and the millions of people who rely on it, with former Prime Minister Abe securely in our hearts and mind.

Our sincere condolences,

The Leading Women of the Ocean Network

Holding some of the largest reserves of biodiversity on Earth and covering nearly half the planet’s surface, the high seas support an abundance of marine life. However, with only 1% of the high seas highly and fully protected, they remain critically threatened and among the least understood parts of our planet.

One such area of the high seas that deserves priority protection is the nutrient-rich waters of the Emperor Seamounts. Extending over 2,000km of seafloor in the North Pacific, these unique underwater mountains provide an artery of biodiversity and are believed to be used as stepping stones for a vast array of marine animals.

Sadly the Emperor Seamounts have paid a heavy price for their nutrient rich waters. Bottom trawling in the 1950’s and 60’s has left deep scars across this unique deep-sea landscape, removing more than 200,000 tonnes of fish and corals during peak years. Devastatingly bottom trawling continues to this day.

The Leading Women for the Ocean support the High Seas Alliance and others in the call for the Emperor Seamounts to received priority protect. But with no legal mechanism to establish a marine protected area (MPA) in the high seas, we must ensure the new United Nations High Seas Treaty sets up a global process for MPAs. By establishing a highly and fully protected area around the Emperor Seamounts, where no harmful fishing activity can occur, we can save this ecologically vital area for ourselves and future generations.



To learn more about the Emperor Seamounts visit the High Seas Alliance.

To tell leaders to protect the high seas with a UN treaty sign this petition.  

©cover image courtesy Schmidt Ocean Institute