Biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction: guidance for UK stakeholders

Overview

The Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) is an international agreement that supports the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in parts of the ocean beyond national jurisdiction.

The UK ratified the BBNJ Agreement in July 2026 and the Agreement entered into force for the UK on 9 August 2026. 

The UK implements its obligations under the Agreement through domestic legislation and other measures, including the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Act 2026. 

This guidance explains:

• who the UK requirements apply to
• what activities may be affected
• what you need to do to comply with UK requirements

Who this guidance is for

This guidance may be relevant if you are:

• carrying out marine scientific research
• collecting marine genetic resources
• using marine genetic resources or digital sequence information
• operating a UK craft or carrying out activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction
• responsible for repositories or databases holding marine genetic resources or digital sequence information on marine genetic resources
• planning an activity in areas within national jurisdiction that may have impacts on areas beyond national jurisdiction

Understand areas beyond national jurisdiction

Areas beyond national jurisdiction are parts of the ocean that lie beyond the maritime zones of any country or territory. 

These areas lie beyond:

• the territorial sea
• the exclusive economic zone
• the continental shelf
• maritime zones of UK Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories

The BBNJ Agreement applies to both the water column and the seabed. 

Areas within national jurisdiction are areas that fall within the maritime zones of a country or a territory.

What the BBNJ Agreement covers

The BBNJ Agreement aims to support the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction and to enhance capacity building and technology transfer.

The agreement includes measures relating to:

• marine genetic resources and benefit sharing
• area-based management tools, including marine protected areas
• environmental impact assessments
• capacity-building and transfer of marine technology