Home > School of Law > Student > Law Review > Vol. > Iss. 1 (2026)
Western New England Law Review
Abstract
The Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction has now secured sufficient ratifications to enter into force. The enforcement mechanisms of the treaty could be strengthened to better protect biodiversity by granting the high seas personhood and providing the high seas quasi-statehood. The enforcement mechanism would be through the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea’s (UNCLOS) International Tribunal of the Sea. Specifically, enforcement could be strengthened by working with other entities such as Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), the Fish Stocks Agreement, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The high seas representative for their personhood would be composed of scientists, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities. Granting the high seas personhood and quasi-statehood would likely boost enforcement and result in biodiversity gains for the high seas.
Recommended Citation
Jennifer Bass, GRANTING THE HIGH SEAS PERSONHOOD AND QUASI-STATE STATUS, 48 W. New Eng. L. Rev. 58 (2026), https://digitalcommons.wne.edu/lawreview/vol48/iss1/4