Ocean Guardianship
We work to make pro bono consultancy accessible to coastal and oceanic communities most affected by human activity on the Ocean
At a glance
Pacific countries and Indigenous communities were engaged in 2026 through consultative conversations to co-design the department’s key focus areas and legal support pathways.
Pacific Island coastal community organisations have hired us to help strengthen lagoon and coral reef restoration policies within large-scale climate adaptation initiatives.
About
The Ocean Guardianship department aims to work alongside Ocean stewards to expose structural inequities, support Indigenous authority and advance legal pathways that align ecological integrity with cultural and community wellbeing. We support the provision of pro bono legal services to Indigenous and Ocean-dependent communities advancing their own approaches to Ocean stewardship.
Dominant Ocean governance frameworks remain largely extractive, colonial and technocratic. They often marginalise Indigenous and community-based governance, devalue non-Western legal traditions and exclude those most affected by Ocean degradation. Even when framed as collaborative or sustainable, such approaches can reinforce power imbalances and legitimise resource extraction through blue- washed narratives of protection and justice. By centering Ocean Guardianship, we wish to challenge these dynamics.
Our work is grounded in respect for Indigenous law, customary governance and long-standing stewardship practices that have sustained the Ocean for generations. We begin from the position that communities already hold the knowledge, authority and systems needed to protect the Ocean. Rather than introducing external solutions, we work in partnership to support community-defined priorities through responsive legal research, policy analysis and the co-development of legal tools that reflect relational care, reciprocity and cultural continuity. Our role is to accompany Ocean Guardians as they navigate complex legal and policy environments, strengthening their ability to advocate, negotiate and assert custodianship on their own terms.
How We Support Partners
We accompany and support frontline Ocean stewards by mobilising legal expertise through pro bono, philanthropic and partnership-based models. Our work seeks to safeguard marine ecosystems, advance Ocean equity and reimagine Ocean governance in ways that honour customary authority and intergenerational stewardship.
Our team includes staff with specific training and experience in Indigenous rights, customary law and culturally responsive legal practice. We recognise that customs, laws and protocols are distinct to each community. We therefore work under the guidance of rights holders and, where appropriate, alongside local counsel, cultural advisers and other trusted partners.
How we can support you:
Key Milestones
Integrating human rights within the Marshall Islands’ tuna fishing industry
This work responds to persistent Human Rights and labour protection gaps across the Western Central Pacific Ocean, which hosts the world’s largest tuna fishery and supplies more than half of the global tuna market. In the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Solomon Islands and across the region, fish workers continue to face risks including forced labour, excessive working hours, non payment or underpayment of wages, restricted freedom of movement, inadequate safety standards and limited access to complaint or remedy mechanisms. These challenges are exacerbated by weak oversight at sea, fragmented jurisdiction, reliance on flags of convenience and limited enforcement capacity, despite the existence of international labour and Human Rights standards. At the same time, governments and industry actors face growing expectations from markets, investors and trading partners to demonstrate responsible fisheries governance that addresses both social conditions and environmental sustainability. By supporting governance strengthening and worker protections within fisheries management frameworks, this collaboration seeks to advance social wellbeing alongside long term sustainability in one of the world’s most important Ocean regions.
Viability and impact assessment for the Erakor Lagoon
The community of Erakor Lagoon is actively seeking justice and restoration for their environmentally degraded lagoon, following significant pollution from hospital waste, resort and residential runoff, and inadequate infrastructure. They are pursuing two primary legal pathways: filing a complaint with the Vanuatu Ombudsman to trigger domestic enforcement, and potentially initiating litigation to demand redress, with any compensation intended to fund a community-led Lagoon Restoration Plan. They have also established a Marine Management Committee to unite the chiefs, local authorities, and youth representatives, aiming to create a body that can govern restoration efforts and represent the community. However, traditional leadership tensions and limited resources complicate cohesive legal representation. Our contribution included advisory support to the Marine Management Committee and the analysis of potential domestic and international avenues, including engagement with the Vanuatu Ombudsman and UN Special Procedures.
Related Ocean issues
Support Our Work
The Ocean needs more than awareness. It needs accountability. Your support helps advance strategic legal action, achieve strengthen Ocean Rights and support Ocean-dependent and Indigenous communities working to protect the ecosystems they know best. Together, we can help turn legal obligation into lasting Ocean protection.
