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11h ago

High Seas Biodiversity Treaty Reaches 60 Ratifications, Set to Take Effect in January 2026

Impact will hinge on participation by major fishing nations.

FILE - Fish swim at Havannah Harbour, off the coast of Efate Island, Vanuatu, July 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag, File)
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FILE - Coral is visible in the protected area of France's Porquerolles National Park ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference on June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag, File)
The research ship MV Anuanua Moana is pictured at a port in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, during an expedition to far-flung South Pacific waters in June 2025, spearheading efforts to dredge the tropical waters for industrial deep-sea mining.

Overview

  • Morocco’s ratification as the 60th party triggered the treaty’s entry into force on January 17, 2026, following a 120‑day countdown confirmed by the United Nations.
  • The agreement establishes a process to create marine protected areas, require environmental impact assessments, share benefits from marine genetic resources, and support capacity‑building.
  • Countries must convene the first Conference of the Parties within one year of entry into force, and only states that ratify before that meeting will have voting rights on foundational rules.
  • Enforcement will rely on national authorities regulating vessels under their flags, raising concerns about effectiveness if leading maritime powers including the United States, China, Russia and Japan do not ratify.
  • Experts and NGOs expect implementation to take years, with the first high seas protected areas unlikely before 2028–2029 and substantial financing and monitoring still to be secured.