14 Apr 2026
Photo by Nik Shuliahin The third and final preparatory commission for the High Seas Treaty concluded on 2 April at the United Nations headquarters in New York, wrapping up two weeks of intensive negotiations that the High Seas Alliance described as delivering meaningful progress, but also leaving several significant issues unresolved ahead of the treaty’s first Conference […]
17 Feb 2026
Photo by Silas Baisch The UK has moved a significant step closer to ratifying the landmark High Seas Treaty after the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Bill received royal assent on 12 February, becoming an Act of Parliament. However, the government confirmed that additional secondary legislation is still required before full ratification can be achieved. The […]
20 Jan 2026
Photo by Jakob Owens The High Seas Treaty officially entered into force on 17 January 2026, marking a historic milestone for global ocean protection. However, the UK remains excluded from decision-making as Parliament has yet to ratify the landmark agreement despite being one of the first countries to sign it in 2023. The treaty, […]
25 Nov 2025
Photo by Simon Spring Following decades of sovereignty disputes and forced displacement, the government of Mauritius has announced plans to maintain a ban on commercial fishing across an area of the Indian Ocean larger than France, whilst establishing a groundbreaking marine protected area that explicitly incorporates cultural considerations and traditional fishing practices. The Chagos Archipelago Marine […]
07 Oct 2025
Photo by Kirill Fokin The Ocean Rights Movement has launched a new global hub at oceanrights.com, providing a centralised platform for advancing an ethical human-ocean relationship. The website, powered by Ocean Vision Legal with support from Gallifrey Foundation, offers resources for advocates working towards legal recognition of the ocean as a living entity with intrinsic […]
27 Jul 2015
European Union: ‘The aim of this consultation is to gather input on how the EU could contribute to achieving better international governance of oceans and seas to the benefit of sustainable blue growth. On the basis of the results and other sources of data and information, the European Commission will consider how best to develop […]