Hey Ecohustlers!
Today marks a massive, tangible leap forward for our oceans – exactly the kind of breakthrough we live for. The High Seas Treaty (officially the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, or BBNJ), has officially entered into force as of today, January 17, 2026.
This is historic multilateral muscle in action, covering nearly half the planet's surface and 95% of the ocean's volume, the vast high seas beyond any country's borders.
After nearly two decades of negotiations, adoption in 2023, and hitting the magic 60 ratifications (with Morocco sealing it on September 19, 2025), the treaty is now legally binding. We're talking real tools to protect marine life from mounting pressures like overfishing, pollution, climate change, and emerging threats such as deep-sea mining.
The BBNJ Agreement delivers four core pillars that could reshape ocean governance for the better:
- Establishing marine protected areas (MPAs) in international waters to safeguard fragile ecosystems, migratory species, and biodiversity hotspots.
- Regulating the sustainable use and sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources—ensuring developing nations aren't left behind in the rush for ocean-derived medicines, biotech, and more.
- Mandating environmental impact assessments for activities on the high seas to prevent harm before it happens.
- Boosting capacity-building and technology transfer to help all countries participate effectively.
The European Union, a driving force as co-chair of the High Ambition Coalition, is all in – leading negotiations, pledging €40 million through the EU Global Ocean Programme (including €10 million in technical assistance), and contributing to the UN-hosted BBNJ Secretariat.
Preparatory work is already humming, with discussions underway for the first Conference of the Parties (COP) within the next year. As the EU's announcement highlights, this treaty fosters "coherence, coordination and synergies" across ocean-related bodies, turning fragmented efforts into a more holistic approach to healing our blue planet.
This isn't just paperwork, it's a framework that supports the global push for 30x30 (protecting 30% of oceans by 2030 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework), and gives us enforceable mechanisms to counter biodiversity loss where it's been hardest to act.
Organizations like the High Seas Alliance, IUCN, WWF, and UN bodies are celebrating it as a "new era of stewardship," with early ratifiers from Palau to the EU showing what's possible when ambition meets action.
And here's where you come in, hustlers: individual choices ripple out to support these big systemic shifts. Right on cue with today's milestone, we just dropped our latest piece tying personal action directly to ocean relief: Fish Free February, now live and in its sixth year.
Founded by marine biologist Simon Hilbourne and backed by ocean impact accelerator 71blue, this simple monthly pledge asks you to go seafood-free for February, swapping in plant-based eats to ease pressure on overfished stocks.
With over a third of global marine fish populations already overfished and aquatic production projected to climb 10% by 2032 (per FAO), reducing demand is one of the fastest ways to give fish populations breathing room and let ecosystems rebound. It's empowering, delicious, and perfectly timed.
Sign the pledge at fishfreefebruary.com/pledge, dive into the recipes, and join a growing community proving small shifts scale up to big protection.
Today's entry into force reminds us: when governments, scientists, NGOs, and everyday people align, progress accelerates. The high seas – once a lawless frontier – are now under better guard, and tools like MPAs and EIAs mean real conservation can finally take root where it's needed most.
Share the treaty news, and let's keep the momentum rolling.
Stay fierce for the blue. 🌊✨