World’s oceans, future?

Bismark Owoahene Acheampong Opinion Mar - 30 - 2026 , 09:57 4 minutes read

On January 17, 2026, the High Seas Treaty – formally the BBNJ Agreement – officially entered into force.

For the first time, the international community has a legally binding framework to protect marine life in the High Seas, the vast waters beyond national jurisdiction that cover half of the planet.

While the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provided the framework for ocean governance, the BBNJ Agreement is the missing piece of the puzzle.

It addresses the legal vacuum in international waters, which have long been a “Wild West” of an unregulated ecosystem.

But as the maritime community celebrates, a critical question remains: How do we move from a “paper treaty” to a protected ocean?

Why high seas matter

The health of the ocean is inextricably linked to life on land and the well-being of the populations that inhabit it. These waters regulate our climate, dictate weather patterns and support the fisheries that sustain millions of West African livelihoods.

The BBNJ Agreement rests on four essential pillars designed to safeguard this balance:

Marine Genetic Resources (MGRs) – It ensures the equitable sharing of benefits from deep-sea discoveries – such as corals, bacteria or deep-sea sponges—used in medicines, cosmetics and biotechnology.

Area-Based Management Tools (ABMTs) – It allows for the creation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in international waters, restricting harmful activities like overfishing and deep-sea mining.

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) mandate that any industrial activity on the high seas must undergo a transparent evaluation of its ecological footprint.

Capacity Building and Technology Transfer – This ensures that developing nations like Ghana have the tools and knowledge to participate meaningfully in ocean governance.

Bridging gap: Strategy for success

History is littered with maritime initiatives that failed because they could not bridge the gap between policy and practice. To ensure the BBNJ Agreement succeeds, we must prioritise four strategic areas:

• Institutional integration

We must dismantle the silos that hinder ocean health. In Ghana, the Ghana Maritime Authority, the Fisheries Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, Academia and the Foreign Affairs Ministry must synchronise efforts.

Our national legislation must be updated to give local enforcement agencies the explicit legal backing to act on BBNJ mandates.

This underscores the urgency of a comprehensive Ghana National Maritime Policy (GNMP) to delineate our maritime future.

• Digital oceans: AI and surveillance

It is impossible to police two-thirds of the planet with patrol boats alone.

The future is digital.

We must leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) and satellite-based systems, such as Global Fishing Watch, to monitor MPAs in real-time.

Ghana should position itself as a regional hub for maritime domain awareness, providing a blueprint for West Africa.

• Equitable financial architecture

Conservation is expensive.

We must move from the common “Heritage of Mankind” as a slogan to a reality where financial resources are shared.

Developing a robust Global Ocean Fund is essential to help littoral states in the Global South to monitor their adjacent high-seas corridors.

• Developing capital

We must train a new generation of “Blue Managers”—maritime law and policy experts, marine biologists and data scientists who understand the BBNJ framework.

Capacity building is not just about receiving equipment; it is about sharing the intellectual tools to lead international negotiations.