Twenty years in the making, the High Seas Treaty has officially been ratified. That’s reason for celebration – but the work doesn’t end here. Here are five things that must come next.
After two decades of negotiations, the High Seas Treaty has finally been ratified, securing unprecedented protection for the high seas – the vast stretches of international waters that lie beyond any one country’s control.
This is a milestone moment. But before looking ahead, let’s go back to basics.
The high seas – often referred to as Earth’s final frontier or the wild west of the ocean – are among the most ecologically vital yet least protected natural areas in the world.
They cover nearly half the planet’s surface, linking ecosystems across the globe – but they remain some of the least understood and most vulnerable places on the planet.
Here’s what research tells us about the high seas:
- Vast biodiversity: They hold some of the largest reservoirs of biodiversity on Earth, including deep-water corals, seamounts, and other unique habitats.
- Crucial for marine life: They support an extraordinary diversity of species by providing vital feeding, breeding, and nursery grounds.
- Migration corridors: They serve as highways for whales, sharks, and countless other species, connecting distant ecosystems.
- Climate regulation: Acting as a massive carbon sink, the high seas stabilise Earth’s climate systems and sequester carbon over centuries.
- Fragile ecosystems: Recovery from disturbance can take decades, making them especially vulnerable to exploitation.
- Global commons: Protecting them requires full international cooperation and highly protected areas to safeguard their functions for generations to come.
Yet despite their importance, less than 1 per cent of these areas are currently fully or highly protected, compared with 17 per cent of land.
Governance has been patchy and fragmented, leaving them open to exploitation and pollution – a problem compounded by climate change.
For this reason, the ratification of the High Seas Treaty is crucial for the future of our natural ecosystem, and our planet at large.
Did you know? The High Seas Treaty will play a key role in achieving the global “30x30” goal – protecting 30 per cent of our oceans by 2030. Establishing protected areas in the high seas will be vital to reaching 30 per cent protection.
The treaty is the first legally binding international agreement safeguarding marine life in the high seas.
In June 2023, negotiating states adopted the text of the High Seas Treaty (also called the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction or “BBNJ” Treaty), agreeing that ratification by 60 countries was required for it to come into force.
Ratification means each country must complete its domestic legal process and deposit instruments of ratification to make the treaty binding.
To date, 143 countries have signed. With the sixtieth ratification now in hand, a 120-day countdown has begun, after which the Treaty will formally take effect and become international law.
This treaty is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect ocean life beyond national jurisdiction, safeguard carbon-rich marine ecosystems, and help achieve the global target to protect 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030.
What the treaty will achieve:
- A legal framework to create networks of marine protected areas beyond national jurisdiction — including highly and fully protected zones where harmful activities are banned. If effectively implemented, this can help achieve the 30x30 target.
- Greater transparency and decision-making power through environmental impact assessments, ensuring any human activity with potential harm is scrutinised.
- Fair and equitable sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources from the high seas and its seabed.
- Capacity building and technology transfer, supported by a funding mechanism to help countries implement the agreement effectively.
The treaty ratification is cause for celebration, but the work doesn’t end here.
To ensure the effective rollout of the High Seas Treaty, Minderoo Foundation has announced two new grants worth more than US$2.8 million (A$4.25 million) to accelerate the swift and science-based implementation of this landmark agreement.
But that’s only the start. Here’s what comes next:
Drive more ratifications
The treaty needed 60 ratifications to come into force, but 83 signatory countries have yet to ratify. Securing those ratifications quickly will build a stronger treaty. Through partnerships with the high seas Alliance and IUCN, Minderoo is helping governments secure and support ratification efforts.
Explore more via the High Seas Alliance ratification tracker and keep up to date with the global ratification process here.
Fund and support countries to implement the treaty
Through our funding of High Seas Alliance, we aim to help countries implement the Treaty through the provision of policy, legal and technical expertise.
Ensure treaty implementation is inclusive of gender and Indigenous peoples
Conservation, policy, and management outcomes are more successful when they are inclusive of gender, Indigenous peoples and local communities.
We must ensure that we have equitable governance frameworks, as these are vital to the success of the High Seas Treaty.
Strengthen global science-based standards for marine protection in the high seas
We’re investing in research to accelerate progress and ensure the high seas are effectively understood and protected.
Our collaboration with the Marine Conservation Institute (MCI) will bolster the High Seas Protection Tracker, an interactive tool to assess the extent and quality of marine protections.
Ensure compliance and enforcement
Political declarations alone won’t protect biodiversity. In order to turn commitments into real protections, we must implement strong accountability and compliance systems that are targeted, legitimate, cost effective and consistent.
That begins with rules that are clearly understood and widely supported – only then can enforcement efforts translate to real world results.
Frontline practitioners – the people who patrol, monitor, and manage these waters – are critical to turning protection goals into real outcomes.
Compliance and enforcement networks remind us that their knowledge and involvement must shape the “conservation architecture” that underpin effective governance. Jurisdictional complexity will be one of the biggest challenges.
Effective compliance and enforcement will rely on responsible countries and distant-water flag states working together to close surveillance gaps across vast international waters.
These factors will be essential to ensuring high seas MPAs are more than just ‘paper parks’ and deliver real, measurable benefits.
The ratification of the High Seas Treaty is a milestone for ocean protection — but real change depends on what happens next.
Turning this agreement into action will require science-based standards, strong implementation, and ongoing international co-operation.
Minderoo Foundation is committed to helping deliver on that promise, ensuring the high seas are safeguarded for biodiversity, climate, and future generations.
- Dr Andrew Forrest AO, Co-founder, Minderoo Foundation
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