The high seas are the parts of the ocean that lie beyond any country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) – roughly two–thirds of the ocean, and nearly half the surface of the planet. They belong to no one nation, and until recently there was almost no way to protect the life within them. This is where migratory species travel, where deep––sea ecosystems thrive, and where practices like bottom trawling on seamounts continue largely unchecked.
Adopted at the United Nations in 2023 after nearly two decades of negotiation, the High Seas Treaty (the BBNJ Agreement) creates the first legal framework to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity on the high seas. Most importantly, it makes it possible – for the first time – to establish marine protected areas in international waters, a crucial tool for reaching the global 30% protection goal.
Without a way to protect the high seas, the 30% protection target is simply out of reach – you cannot protect a third of the ocean while two–thirds of it sits beyond the rules. The treaty also strengthens the case for ending destructive practices on shared ocean features like seamounts, and for managing the high seas in a coordinated, science–led way.
Yes. Having passed the threshold of 60 ratifications, the High Seas Treaty entered into force in early 2026 – a landmark moment for ocean governance. Attention now turns to putting it into practice, including designating the first high–seas marine protected areas.
New Zealand signed the treaty in 2023 and has committed to ratifying it, (but not yet done so) with the domestic legislation needed to do so underway. Until New Zealand ratifies, it can take part only as an observer, without a vote in how the treaty is implemented. Ratifying would align New Zealand’s actions with its stated support for protecting vulnerable marine ecosystems.
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