Austria Joins High Seas Protection Agreement - An Important Step for Ocean Conservation

Austria joins the BBNJ Agreement - now it’s all about constructive implementation to ensure lasting protection of marine biodiversity.

Protection for the blue heart of our planet: The agreement establishes a new legal framework for the protection of the high seas, including the creation of marine protected areas, mandatory environmental impact assessments before potentially harmful interventions, and equitable sharing of marine genetic resources.

With the Federal Council's approval yesterday, the Republic of Austria completed the final step in its national accession process to the High Seas Protection Agreement. After formal notification, Austria's accession will be officially recorded at the United Nations – a formal act.

The BBNJ Agreement is the result of almost two decades of intensive negotiations and commitment from governments, scientists, and environmental organizations worldwide. Given the worsening triple planetary crisis – climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution – a healthy ocean, which absorbs CO2 and heat from the atmosphere, stabilizes weather systems, and supports the livelihoods of billions, becomes even more crucial.

Nicolas Entrup, Director of International Cooperation at OceanCare, says: We are very pleased that Austria has completed the national accession process to the agreement - a strong signal for multilateralism and responsible marine policy. Without international cooperation on the high seas, no country, regardless of coastlines, can sustainably shape its future. The BBNJ Agreement is not only crucial for coastal states. Landlocked countries also have a direct interest. Healthy and regulated oceans protect our climate, secure global food supplies, and preserve biodiversity, which we all depend on.

Fabienne McLellan, Managing Director of OceanCare, adds: The high seas stabilize our global climate system. Effective protection of marine biodiversity in international waters is therefore in the interest of all states. Now, it's a matter for Austria to swiftly implement the agreement, because the true success of the agreement will be measured by its effective implementation of protection commitments into concrete actions. May this progress also serve as an example for neighbouring Switzerland, which will hopefully soon join the agreement.

So far, the agreement officially has 86 contractual parties (145 signatories). Worldwide participation is essential to effectively protect all areas beyond national jurisdiction, to preserve marine biodiversity, and to apply the agreed rules uniformly across the high seas. Many forms of pollution, including underwater noise and plastic, know no national boundaries. Tackling these increasingly devastating transboundary threats requires the participation, commitment, and collaboration of all nations.

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