Canada affirms commitment to protect high seas as UN treaty becomes law

The High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) enters into force internationally while Canada has signed but not yet ratified it; Fisheries and Oceans Canada says work on ratification is ongoing without a timeline or budget.

The High Seas Treaty, formally the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), enters into force internationally on Saturday. Canada signed the treaty in March 2024 but has not yet completed domestic ratification, a step that would give it a formal role in implementing the treaty's measures. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is leading the domestic adoption process and said work on ratification is ongoing, without providing a timeline or budget. The agreement creates a legal framework to establish marine protected areas in international waters, require environmental impact assessments, and guide equitable sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources. Key points: - More than 80 nations have ratified the High Seas Treaty, allowing it to enter into force at the international level. - The high seas lie beyond 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones, cover nearly half the planet, and currently have about 1.5% of their area protected. - Canadian ratification requires tabling the treaty in the House of Commons for 21 sitting days followed by cabinet approval, a process that requires an approved budget. - A final preparatory meeting before the treaty's first Conference of Parties is scheduled for late March in New York; delegates will finalize recommendations on the Scientific and Technical Body ahead of a likely first Conference of Parties in early 2027. - Canada has joined a "first movers" coalition to advance high-seas marine protected areas and has signed the Hamilton Declaration to protect the Sargasso Sea. Summary: The treaty's entry into force establishes a new international mechanism for protecting biodiversity on the high seas and supports global targets such as the Kunming-Montreal 30% ocean protection goal. Canada's ratification timing and budget remain undetermined at this time; domestic steps include the required parliamentary tabling and a cabinet decision, while international preparatory work continues toward the first Conference of Parties.