Now officially international law, the landmark ocean governance framework adds environmental oversight and MPA pathways that will increasingly shape how high seas fishing is assessed and coordinated

The High Seas Treaty – formally the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) – entered into force on 17 January 2026, introducing, for the first time, a legally binding global framework to conserve biodiversity and manage human activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction – waters that cover over two-thirds of our ocean, around half of the planet’s surface area, and which underpin a significant share of global fisheries.