Kochi, Dec 12 ( LatestNewsX ) – India is working on a domestic plan to help it ratify, and later enforce, the High Seas Treaty, which is slated to become effective on 17 January 2026.
The Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), adopted under UNCLOS in March 2023, is widely regarded as a landmark step for safeguarding marine life in international waters.
On Friday, a national stakeholder meeting in Kochi brought together the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), the ICAR – Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), along with several national and foreign partners, to review India’s preparedness to implement the treaty.
India is one of 145 signatories, and 76 states have already ratified the agreement.
The session convened policymakers, legal experts, scientists and representatives from the fisheries sector and maritime community to evaluate the scientific, legal and institutional prerequisites for compliance.
Experts noted that enforcing the treaty marks a pivotal moment for global ocean governance, potentially guaranteeing fair access to high‑sea resources and bolstering conservation in the face of growing pressures from climate change, overfishing and pollution.
Senior advocate Sanjay Upadhyay opened the consultation, stating that the BBNJ Agreement provides coastal nations, including India, a crucial opportunity to bridge long‑standing governance gaps in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
He highlighted thorny matters such as the ownership of marine genetic resources and environmental accountability, arguing that the treaty offers a structured framework to handle these sensitivities while safeguarding national interests.
Dr P. Krishnan, Director of the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter‑Governmental Organisation (BOBP‑IGO), underscored India’s robust scientific and technological strengths in ocean research.
He urged the scientific community to amplify its contribution to ocean governance and high‑sea management, describing the treaty as a chance to “bring science, policy and law together.”
CMFRI Director Dr Grinson George pointed out that the Agreement directly affects India’s fisheries, as ecological shifts in the high seas can influence fish stocks within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Although India prioritises near‑shore and small‑scale fisheries, he noted that international‑water activities significantly shape resource patterns closer to the coast.
The recommendations emerging from this consultation will be compiled to sculpt India’s domestic roadmap ahead of the forthcoming Conference of the Parties in August 2026.
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