Particle.news
Download on the App Store
10 ARTICLES
·
14h ago

High Seas Treaty Reaches 60 Ratifications, Will Enter Into Force in January 2026

Countries will convene a first conference within a year of entry to finalize governance, financing and procedures.

FILE - Fish swim at Havannah Harbour, off the coast of Efate Island, Vanuatu, July 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag, File)
Image
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 and Sierra Leone delivered the decisive ratifications, activating a 120‑day countdown to entry into force.
  • The agreement applies to waters beyond national exclusive economic zones covering about 60% of the ocean, where roughly 1% has legal protection today.
  • It establishes processes for high‑seas marine protected areas, environmental impact assessments and benefit‑sharing of marine genetic resources.
  • A conference of the parties will make decisions multilaterally, and only countries that ratify before the first meeting can vote on foundational rules.
  • Experts estimate the first protected areas under the treaty may not be designated until 2028–2029, as overfishing and prospective deep‑sea mining continue to pressure international waters with no commercial mining licenses issued yet.