Don't Call it the "High Seas Treaty"

[Beth Mendenhall]

Colleagues-

If you follow ocean and/or biodiversity governance, you're probably aware of the new agreement for "Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction" (BBNJ) which was just finalized last year. Many observers, activists, scholars, and others have been referring to the BBNJ as the "High Seas Treaty." Myself and Fuad Bateh argue in a new op-ed at Mongabay that calling the BBNJ the "High Seas Treaty" is inaccurate, misleading, and damaging to the interests of the Global South.

Apologies for the self-promotion, but the community hasn't settled on a popular and lasting name for this new treaty. We are making a collective choice, every time we discuss the new agreement. So it's really important that we think carefully about how we describe the treaty. 

Thanks for your consideration,

Elizabeth Mendenhall, PhD

Associate Professor; Graduate Program Director

Department of Marine Affairs

University of Rhode Island

elizabeth-mendenhall.com

Check out my recent publications on the BBNJ treaty, marine plastic pollution, and military nuclear transit.