Humpback whales in the Atlantic Ocean.
Photo: Adobe Stock.
The High Seas Treaty, the first legally binding international agreement to safeguard marine life in international waters, has been named the winner of the 2025 Earthshot Prize in the “Revive Our Oceans” category.
Officially known as the BBNJ Treaty (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction), the treaty reached 60 ratifications in September and is due to enter into force on 17 January 2026.
High Seas Alliance director Rebecca Hubbard accepted the award in Rio de Janeiro on 5th November, on behalf of a global coalition of over 70 organisations that campaigned for over two decades to secure the agreement.
“By 2030, with the support of the Earthshot community, the High Seas Treaty will help ensure a healthy ocean and a stable climate that supports all life on the planet. Together, we will be able to protect biodiversity in the High Seas, which cover half the planet, through a new network of marine protected areas, better management of industrial activities and greater ocean equity," Hubbard said in her acceptance speech.
"In these really challenging political times the Treaty stands as a powerful symbol of hope that when governments and people come together, we can protect what connects us all."
"But now the challenge is to turn that promise into action. So we’d like to call on all communities, Indigenous Peoples, scientists, government, industry leaders everywhere to encourage all countries to swiftly ratify the Treaty, and to transform it from a signed piece of paper into a living, enforceable breathing commitment to protect the High Seas for generations to come," Hubbard added.
The Earthshot Prize awards innovative and large-scale efforts to tackle the planet’s most urgent environmental challenges, with the top five solutions each year awarded £1 million each to scale their work. This year, winners were selected from nearly 2,500 nominations across 72 countries.