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The High Seas Treaty (BBNJ Agreement) introduces new tools to safeguard the deep ocean’s extraordinary life and the critical services it provides. Learn more about the High Seas Treaty, what it means for the deep sea, challenges to overcome and opportunities for the future of ocean conservation.
The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) strongly condemns The Metals Company’s (TMC) attempt to fast-track deep-sea mining through a unilateral U.S. permitting process in international waters, attempting to undermine the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and bypass ongoing multilateral negotiations at the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
On Saturday 17 January 2026, the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement - or High Seas Treaty - will enter into force, marking a major milestone in international ocean governance and introducing new tools to safeguard the deep ocean’s extraordinary life and the critical services it provides.
Friday marked a major victory for global ocean protection: the High Seas Treaty, also known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, surpassed the 60 ratifications needed to enter into force (reaching 61 ratifications in total). The Treaty will officially take effect on 17 January 2026. This landmark agreement introduces new tools to safeguard the deep ocean’s extraordinary life, as well as legally binding obligations for States to apply high environmental standards across ocean governance bodies, including the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs).