High Seas Treaty enters into force: what it means for fisheries and ocean industries
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.
