Friday marked a major victory for global ocean protection: the High Seas Treaty, also known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, surpassed the 60 ratifications needed to enter into force (reaching 61 ratifications in total). The Treaty will officially take effect on 17 January 2026. This landmark agreement introduces new tools to safeguard the deep ocean’s extraordinary life, as well as legally binding obligations for States to apply high environmental standards across ocean governance bodies, including the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs).

Sian Owen, Executive Director of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC), said:
“The DSCC welcomes this historic achievement and congratulates all those who have fought tirelessly to deliver this groundbreaking victory. Now governments must turn ambition into urgent action to protect our ocean from top to bottom, including its fragile, life-supporting deep sea.”

The DSCC warns that destructive activities such as deep-sea mining and bottom trawling on seamounts and other vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) directly undermine the Treaty’s objectives and vision.

Bronwen Golder, Global Seamounts Campaign Director at the DSCC commented:

“Commercial bottom trawling turns seamounts, biodiversity hotspots and vital ocean lifelines, into rubble. States must carry the ambition of the Treaty through to RFMOs and fully protect seamounts from destructive fishing practices”

Sofia Tsenikli, the DSCC’s Deep-Sea Mining Moratorium Campaign Director, added:

“The High Seas Treaty shows what’s possible for our shared ocean when countries work together, but that progress is at risk if deep-sea mining is allowed to begin. This dangerous industry is incompatible with the new Treaty, as it threatens the health of one of Earth’s most vital ecosystems. Leaders must now carry that momentum to the ISA and beyond by establishing a moratorium on deep-sea mining to protect the ocean for generations to come.

The DSCC calls on global governments worldwide to act decisively and break down silos between fragmented management bodies to ensure equitable, coherent, science-based ocean governance and stewardship. The deep sea is the beating heart of our planet – now is the time to protect it.

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