Community is where it starts.
We're here to help surfers understand the High Seas Treaty (aka the BBNJ agreement) and what it means for global Ocean protection.
Once you're in the know, sign your name to support the rally for ratification!
We are looking for surfers from 38 countries (that have not yet ratified the Treaty) to represent and lead ReGeneration Surf on a National level. Be a "Treaty Champion" by translating the campaign into your own language and starting the conversation in your local line up.
We'll support you along the way!
We're taking this campaign to the UN Ocean Conference being held in Nice, France in June 2025.
This is a critical point before the High Seas Treaty deadline in September 2025, when leaders will be together to discuss targets and progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 14 "Life Below Water".
The High Seas make up 50% of the surface area of our Planet and include the water column and seafloor. They belong to no one and are the responsibility of everyone!
The High Seas Treaty is a legally binding instrument and global framework to protect the Ocean beyond countries’ national jurisdictions (ie. International waters or The High Seas). It is also known as the BBNJ Agreement and was formally adopted on 19 June 2023.
For the High Seas Treaty to become International Law, it must be ratified by at least 60 countries (UN Member States) by 20 September 2025.
Ratification is the process by which a country officially agrees to be part of a Treaty and makes any laws needed to comply.
As of April 2025:
🌊 112 Countries have signed the Agreement, marking their commitment to ratify it.
🌊 22 countries have ratified the Treaty so far (leaving 38 still to do so).
🌊 60 countries are needed to formally consent to the Treaty through ratification.
Learn more about the Treaty through the High Seas Alliance.
According to Marine Conservation Institute, 8% of the Ocean is covered by some form of marine protection. However, as of May 2023 only 2.9% is covered by what is described as ‘fully or highly protected’ areas and only about 1% of the high seas are highly and fully protected.
The Ocean absorbs heat, produces oxygen, sequesters carbon and regulates the climate and is our biggest ally to deal with the consequences of climate change. The High Seas Treaty will not only contribute to mitigating the impacts of the climate crisis but also protect biodiversity and achieve the objective of protecting at least 30% of the planet by 2030.
Establishing the High Seas Treaty is a chance to combat overexploitation of the Ocean and its resources, as well as bring in protection measures for emerging threats like deep sea mining.
Once ratified, the High Seas Treaty will allow the establishment of a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the High Seas. Learn more about the MPAs proposed by the High Seas Alliance in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean basins here.
It is through MPAs that we will be able to legally safeguard the Ocean from increasing human pressures and the chance to regenerate.
The Ocean is responsible for providing us with waves, so if you depend upon surfing for any kind of personal benefits - then this is in your interest.
If we safeguard the Ocean, we're safeguarding waves... but do we really need to convince you that it's a good idea to protect nearly half of the global Ocean? If you're a surfer, hopefully you're already with us!
This Treaty is 25 years in the making and could be all signed and sealed by September 2025. However, we're running out of time for countries to ratify and make it Law.
We're following the High Seas Alliance closely and aim to elevate their mission by mobilising the global surf community in the #racetoratification.
As soon as the 60th country ratifies, it will trigger a 120-day countdown, after which the High Seas Treaty will enter into force, but we need your help to get there!
With an estimated 50 million surfers situated in many of the countries that still need to ratify the Treaty, we can work together to call on governments, rally local representatives and win the race to ratify the High Seas Treaty before it's too late.
🇬🇧 Natalie Fox -
"Signing the High Seas Treaty is the closest thing to global Ocean protection that we have right now. We can't just keep paddling out, expecting the Ocean to be ok after decades of exploitation. We need to push for this to happen."
🇧🇪 Andreas Declerck - "The ocean is our planet’s heartbeat, a source of life, balance, and wonder. We, the people, are organizing globally to restore reverence for it, and we call on you to lead with courage by ratifying the High Seas Treaty."
🇫🇷 Eliot Garnier-Gil - "As a surfer, the ocean is my home, my passion, and my responsibility. I see firsthand the beauty and the vulnerability of our seas. World leaders, we urgently need you to ratify the High Seas Treaty to protect these waters that belong to us all. Healthy oceans mean a healthy planet — for every wave we ride today, and for every generation to come. Act now. The ocean can't wait."
🇦🇷 Jazmin Martin - "This needs to stop NOW"
🇸🇪 Lina Dahl - It’s not just about protecting the ocean for the environment, it’s about protecting the connecting we as humans have to the ocean and the life’s of the people who rely on the ocean.
🇬🇧 Will Steen
🇳🇱 Sanne van der Bruggen - "The ocean deserves all the love, energy and respect that we are able to give. Everything she has given to us since forever, without ever asking something back for this. Without the ocean, there is no life."
🇯🇪 Linzi Hawkin - "The quote 'we protect what we love' is used again and again, but that concept isn't always reflected in our surf communities. Signing the High Seas Treaty is a powerful opportunity to stand up for the ocean on a global scale."
🇵🇹 Cláudia Marques
