High Seas Treaty Update

Parliment

[Originally posted February 2026] The "High Seas Treaty" (Also known as the "Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction" or the "BBNJ" Agreement) came into force in January 2026.

The treaty provides a framework for creating Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the high seas; however, the treaty is somewhat vague in how it defines the scope of these MPAs. The general assumption I have seen is that these MPAs are solely focused on seabed mining or the extraction of biological resources; however, the treaty also addresses: "maintaining the integrity of ocean ecosystems", "ocean acidification", and "marine pollution". The verdict is still out on what these MPAs will look like.

As the Conference of the Parties to this treaty establish MPAs, it remains to be seen whether this will result in an onslaught of MPAs across the globe with new discharge and acoustic restrictions for ships. If so, this could present substantial impacts and compliance risks for cruise itineraries and shipping routes.

The UK has begun the process of ratifying the High Seas Treaty, after King Charles granted the bill his official royal assent and here is a link to the related action in the House of Lords.

https://www.youtube.com/live/kAuvfYnagG8?si=Y1lZgM1d5vf9aQDp