To take effect, the High Seas Treaty—agreed upon in 2023 after almost two decades of negotiations—must be signed and ratified by at least 60 countries. Eighteen countries have ratified the agreement as of March 2025, with the goal of reaching 60 by the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference in June. Canada signed the treaty a year ago but has not ratified it yet, and Parliament being prorogued has delayed the process.  

The event began with remarks from Susanna Fuller, vice-president of conservation and projects with Oceans North, who explained what the treaty is and what it does to protect the ocean. She described how the treaty will empower a new international body to create linked marine protected areas (MPAs) in the high seas, as well as support developing countries in the establishment, management and monitoring of these regions. Fuller said that Canada should take the lead by being among the first countries to ratify the treaty, and that following ratification, Canada should work on establishing high seas protected areas adjacent to existing MPAs, such as in the Northwest Atlantic and Northeast Pacific.  

Why are the high seas worth protecting in the first place? The global ocean makes up almost half the Earth and is connected to every part of the planet, from its surface to the coastlines and the deepest undersea canyons. Anna Metaxas, an oceanography professor at Dalhousie University, described the abundant diversity of marine life in the high seas, which provides food, nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration. Whales, seabirds and other deep-water, coastal and migratory species also rely on the high seas for their essential habitat. The high seas play a crucial role in human health as well, producing oxygen, sequestering carbon and providing food for billions. 

For many Indigenous Peoples around the world, these waters are not only a source of food but are also connected to their cultures, histories, and livelihoods up to the present day. Marjo Verros, head of science policy research at Ocean Voices, explained the important role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities during the treaty negotiations and its final terms. For example, one of the principles in the BBNJ Treaty states that the parties are to be guided by the use of “relevant traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, where available” and that obligations relating to the rights of Indigenous Peoples must be considered when taking action to address the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity. The treaty mandates that Indigenous Peoples are to be included in the establishment of high seas MPAs, from being invited to consult on new proposals and environmental assessments to monitoring them once they are created.

The rich biodiversity of the high seas is also expected to offer scientific and potential economic opportunity in the form of marine genetic resources, Daniel Kachelreiss, cross-cutting coordinator at the High Seas Alliance, told the webinar audience. He described the treaty’s detailed provisions for equitably sharing both the monetary and non-monetary benefits of these resources, which includes distributing the results of scientific research cruises and the development and transfer of new marine technologies.