Angling Trust welcomes UK ratification of landmark High Seas Treaty

The Angling Trust has welcomed the UK Government’s ratification of the landmark UN High Seas Treaty, a significant step towards protecting the world’s oceans and the migratory fish species that recreational anglers value.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has signed the document required for the UK to officially ratify a landmark United Nations ocean protection treaty, the Government has announced.

The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement creates a framework to protect biodiversity in international waters, allowing marine protected areas to be established on the high seas for the first time while strengthening international cooperation on conservation and marine science.

For recreational sea and game anglers, the treaty has the potential to benefit the conservation of highly migratory species such as Atlantic salmon, Atlantic bluefin tuna, and pelagic sharks like the blue shark. By improving protection for critical ocean habitats and supporting better international management, the agreement can help safeguard the fish stocks that anglers depend upon and contribute to healthier seas for future generations.

Hannah Rudd, Head of Marine at the Angling Trust, said:

“Healthy seas underpin healthy fisheries. The High Seas Treaty provides an important opportunity to improve protection for internationally important marine habitats and migratory species while supporting the science needed to better understand and manage our oceans. Species such as bluefin tuna and blue sharks migrate across entire ocean basins and international cooperation is essential if we are to conserve these remarkable fish, the ecosystems they depend on and in turn support coastal communities.”

The Angling Trust also highlights the importance of the treaty for Atlantic salmon conservation and other diadromous fish, supporting the work of the Missing Salmon Alliance, of which the Trust is a founding partner. The Alliance is working to reverse the dramatic decline of wild Atlantic salmon by improving understanding of the challenges they face throughout their complex freshwater and marine life cycle.

Mark Owen, Head of Fisheries at the Angling Trust, said:

“Many of our most iconic fish species don’t recognise international borders. Atlantic salmon spend much of their lives in the open ocean before returning to our rivers. The UK’s ratification of the High Seas Treaty is a welcome step towards stronger protection our shared global ocean.”

With the UK now formally ratifying the agreement, the Angling Trust looks forward to seeing its effective implementation alongside other nations to help deliver healthier oceans and more resilient fish populations for generations to come.