Vanuatu’s Oceans Act: Rescaling ocean spaces and governance

Vanuatu’s Oceans Act No. 45 of 2025 rescales national ocean space and mandates collaborative ocean governance zones for inclusion of indigenous customary management systems. Enacted to ensure alignment to Vanuatu’s international ocean governance commitments, notably to protect 30% of ocean space by 2030, the Oceans Act incorporates an integrative design of marine spatial planning and marine protection tools with indigenous governance approaches, in a manner that its legal architects describe as ‘decolonial’. This commentary unpacks the Act and concludes that the Act’s decolonial intent will be challenged by the commitment to meet the imminent timeframe for achieving 30 × 30, if collaborative governance practice is to be genuinely fostered.