Madagascar signs historic BBNJ agreement to protect marine biodiversity

On 25 September 2024, the Republic of Madagascar reached an important milestone by signing the landmark treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction, known by its acronym BBNJ (Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction). The treaty was signed at the United Nations headquarters in New York by Madagascar’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rafaravavitafika RASATA.

The BBNJ treaty, also known as the ‘High Seas Treaty’, aims to protect and ensure the sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, covering almost two-thirds of the world’s oceans.

The signing of this agreement will bring a number of significant benefits for Madagascar. Among other things, it will make it possible to:

• Create marine protected areas in international waters, which will help to preserve the marine ecosystems that support fisheries and tourism.
• Limit overfishing in areas beyond national jurisdiction, thereby protecting migratory fish stocks and marine species on which Madagascar depends for its food security and economic income.
• More equitable access to marine genetic resources on the high seas, which could encourage research and development in sectors such as marine biotechnology, with potential economic spin-offs.
• Developing technical and scientific skills, particularly in marine resource management and conservation.
• Protecting vital marine ecosystems that absorb carbon and play a key role in regulating the global climate, which can help reduce the impacts of climate change.

The signing of this agreement, a joint initiative of the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Fisheries and the Blue Economy, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was approved by the Council of Ministers.

The next step will be ratification of the Agreement by the Malagasy Parliament.