High Seas Treaty Wins Earthshot Prize — What It Means for Alaska

Posted on November 19, 2025

The new United Nations High Seas Treaty (formally the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement) just reached another global milestone by winning the 2025 Earthshot Prize for “Revive Our Oceans.” The award recognizes the treaty’s potential to protect biodiversity and to create the first modern framework for managing and conserving marine life in international waters.

The Treaty enters into force January 2026, after receiving its 60th signature in September 2025, creating tools to establish marine protected areas on the high seas, requiring environmental impact assessments, and supporting global cooperation on science, technology, and equitable benefit sharing.

Why Alaskans Should Care

Although our fisheries occur within U.S. waters, many species critical to Alaska, such as salmon, seabirds, and marine mammals, spend part of their lives on the high seas. What happens out there shapes what happens here.

Key connections for Alaska and U.S. policy:

• Stronger protections for shared ecosystems. Migratory species and deep-sea habitats benefit from new global conservation standards.

• Better climate resilience. High-seas ecosystems help regulate ocean health; protecting these ecosystems supports Alaska’s changing coasts.

• More equitable science and funding. The Treaty includes capacity-building and technology-transfer provisions that can support U.S./Alaska collaborations, the integration of Indigenous knowledge, and research partnerships.

• A moment for U.S. leadership. The U.S. has signed but not yet ratified the Treaty, which will require a 2/3rds vote of the Senate. With the Treaty’s global momentum and high-profile recognition, U.S. support is increasingly important for shaping how these tools work in practice.

As implementation begins, AMCC will track opportunities for Alaska communities, science partners, and marine policy leaders to engage. The Earthshot Prize signals broad global support. Now is the time to ensure Alaska’s voice is included.