A major treaty aimed at protecting marine life in international waters has recently crossed a critical threshold: on September 19, 2025, Morocco became the 60th country to ratify the High Seas Treaty (also called the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, or BBNJ). With that ratification, the treaty is now set to enter into force in 120 days, marking the start of a new legal regime for protecting two-thirds of the world’s oceans that lie beyond any single nation’s control.
This treaty fills longstanding gaps in ocean governance. Areas beyond national jurisdiction — the “high seas” and deep ocean that don’t fall under any country’s exclusive economic zone — have historically been a kind of legal void. Overfishing, deep-sea mining, pollution, and habitat destruction have gone largely unregulated there. The BBNJ agreement provides mechanisms for establishing marine protected areas (MPAs) in international waters, requiring environmental impact assessments for activities, sharing marine genetic resources equitably, and building capacity and technology in less wealthy nations.
One of the most important climate and biodiversity targets that the treaty supports is the “30 by 30” goal, which aims to protect 30% of Earth’s land and ocean by 2030. The treaty significantly contributes to this by enabling the formal protection of large swaths of the high seas, where less than 3% is currently protected. The European Union, among others, has been a strong voice pushing for rapid ratification and is also committing funding and policy support to make marine conservation more effective under this new framework.
There are some challenges ahead. While the treaty now has enough ratifications to take effect, its successful impact will depend on how robustly countries implement it. Effective enforcement, funding for marine protected areas, monitoring of permitted activities (like shipping, fishing, and mining), and ensuring equity (so small or developing nations aren’t left out) will all be critical. Also, some of the world’s largest maritime powers have signed but not yet ratified, leaving gaps.
Still, this is a major win for global environmentalism. A legally binding, multilateral framework for high seas protection was long overdue. With the treaty entering into force in early 2026, conservationists hope it will mark the beginning of more rigorous protection of marine ecosystems, greater scientific cooperation, and better stewardship of the world’s oceans — not just coastal waters, but the vast, under-governed stretches that sustain global biodiversity, climate regulation, and livelihoods.
