This article was featured in Eurofish Magazine 1 2026.
FAO says it intends to contribute to the implementation of the BBNJ (Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction) Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, that entered into force on 17 January 2026 after about two decades of negotiations. The treaty boasts 145 signatories and 81 Parties, and is a binding global framework for conserving, and using sustainably, marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, covering marine genetic resources, area-based management tools, environmental impact assessments, and capacity building with technology transfer.
Waters beyond national jurisdictions cover about two-thirds of the world’s oceans. Fisheries in these areas take around 11 million tonnes annually, largely tunas, bonitos, billfishes, and elasmobranchs. Regional fisheries management organisations are tasked with managing fishing in many ABNJs by setting observation and monitoring systems,
science-based catch limits, allocation and bycatch rules, and when needed, closures to reduce pressures on marine resources. FAO notes that these organisations, with which FAO has a long history of cooperation, have decades of experience managing and conserving marine biodiversity and will be critical to the success of the BBNJ Agreement, through science-based management systems and monitoring. Moreover, FAO’s data collection and networking systems, technical expertise and capacity-building activities will also be essential for implementing the BBNJ.
