Nature protection is integral to curbing biodiversity loss and to increasing ecosystems’ resilience to climate change. The UN CBD Kunming Montreal Biodiversity Framework encourages the signatory nations to achieve 30% representative nature protection by 2030 in protected areas or by means of other effective area-based conservation measures (OECM). Additionally, signatory nations should nominate 30% of degraded ecosystems for restoration. The Skagerrak Sea is home to genetically and demographically connected marine populations, vulnerable marine ecosystems and the regions’ most important natural storage of organic carbon. Nature protection in the Skagerrak features marine protected areas (MPAs) ratified under the OSPAR agreement (EU and non-EU members), the Natura 2000 network of MPAs (EU member states), and national parks. Historically, the productive Skagerrak ecosystem was home to diverse small- and medium-scale fisheries that were important for the regions’ food security and generated a multitude of livelihoods in coastal communities. Modern fisheries operations in the Skagerrak are still economically important and are now primarily based on bottom-contacting fisheries of mixed vessel size for northern shrimp, Norway lobster and fish including certain high-value demersal fish species. The pelagic fishery is small as quotas have been moved to the North Sea to protect Western Baltic Herring.