Government to introduce legislation on High Seas Treaty by end of year

• The treaty will protect marine life around the globe
• Delivering on the Government’s commitment to protect 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030

The Government will introduce a bill by the end of the year, to enable ratification of the BBNJ Agreement (sometimes referred to as the High Seas Treaty), the Marine Minister has announced today (Tuesday 10th June 2025).

Reinvigorating the UK’s international leadership on climate and nature, the ground-breaking Agreement will provide the first legal mechanism for the creation of protected areas in international waters, helping to conserve marine life in parts of the ocean outside national jurisdiction (approximately two-thirds of the world’s ocean).  

These Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) will help conserve rare, valuable and important marine life of the high seas, enhancing their resilience to stressors such as unsustainable fishing and industrial activities, helping them to recover faster. 

Sharks, whales, sea turtles and many more important species of our ocean will be better protected, supporting the development of a healthy, thriving ocean from which all of nature can benefit.  

Marine Minister Emma Hardy said  

“Our oceans are dying. Without urgent action, they will be irreversibly destroyed. 

“That is why the UK will introduce legislation by the end of the year in order to enable ratification of the High Seas Treaty, a landmark in protecting marine life around the globe.”  

The Agreement is a major victory for marine protection, and will be crucial to restoring our ocean to good health.  

Elsewhere at the United Nations Ocean Conference, the UK joined over 90 countries in reiterating its commitment to agreeing an ambitious Plastic Pollution Treaty when negotiations resume in Geneva this August.  

It follows the government’s proposal to ban destructive bottom trawling in more Marine Protected Areas in English Waters, which will help protect rare marine animals and the delicate seabeds on which they rely.  

Notes to editor  

• Marine Protected Ares (MPAs) are areas of the ocean established to protect habitats and species essential for healthy marine ecosystems, allowing vulnerable, rare and important marine life to recover from damaging human activities.  

ENDS