High Seas Biodiversity

“Australia was proud to sign the high seas biodiversity treaty on 20 September 2023, the day it opened for signature, after playing an active role in its inception and development over two decades. Today I am proud to introduce the High Seas Biodiversity Bill. This implementing legislation will enable us to ratify the treaty, noting that the treaty entered into force on 17 January this year.”

Labor • MP • 26 Mar 2026

“Senator CAROL BROWN (Tasmania) (12:00): I rise to speak in support of the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026. This legislation gives effect to Australia's obligation under the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation of Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction, often referred to as the high seas biodiversity agreement. This legislation allows Australia to implement and ratify the global agreement that will help protect biodiversity on the high seas.”

Labor • Senator • 23 Mar 2026

“Australia signed the treaty on the first day it opened for signature back in 2023. It has now entered into force internationally. Australia requires enabling legislation before we can ratify, and this bill provides the framework. It is important that we act swiftly. The first conference of the parties is expected in August this year, and Australia is currently co-chairing that preparatory commission. If we want to shape how international marine protected areas are established and managed, we must ratify in time to participate as a full party.”

Labor • Senator • 23 Mar 2026

“This bill is about the future. It is about ensuring that our children grow up in a world where wilderness still exists, not only on land but in the deep and distant parts of our oceans. There will always be those that say we should wait or do less, but climate change is not waiting, biodiversity loss is not waiting and ocean degradation is not waiting. This bill is a statement that Australia has turned a corner and that under Labor science, evidence and responsibility guide our environmental policy, not denial or delay. The High Seas Biodiversity Bill is Australia's contribution to a nature positive future. It strengthens our standing as a global environmental leader, a reliable regional partner and a nation willing to act when the moment demands it. I proudly commend the bill to the House.”

Labor • MP • 30 Mar 2026

“I can get seasick in a bathtub, so it is with some apprehension that I venture mentally onto the high seas—but here we go. The high seas are the international marine waters beyond the jurisdiction of any country. These waters and the seabeds below them are essential to biodiversity, climate regulation and the overall health of marine ecosystems. Yet only around one per cent of them is currently protected. That is the gap this legislation helps address.”

Labor • MP • 30 Mar 2026

“This legislation reflects a straightforward principle: the condition of our coastline is shaped by not only what we do within our borders but what occurs beyond them. For the people of Moore, this bill is a practical step in protecting the environment they rely on every day. It supports sustainable industry, sustains international cooperation and ensures Australia is contributing to the responsible management of the global ocean. For those reasons, I commend the bill to the House.”

Labor • MP • 30 Mar 2026

“Australia has engaged in the more than 20 years of discussion and negotiations for this treaty, and we are co-chairing the process to prepare for the first meeting of the conference of the parties. This bill is necessary for Australia to ratify the treaty and to safeguard the health of our shared ocean, support our thriving ocean economy for future generations and maintain our hard earned reputation as a global ocean leader. I thank all members who have contributed to this debate. I also thank the many environmental non-government organisations that have campaigned for a long time to have this legislation passed. I also recognise the constructive engagement of a number of industry groups as we've developed this legislation. On that basis, I commend the bill to the chamber.”

Labor • Senator • 23 Mar 2026

“I am proud that the Albanese Labor government is a recognised leader when it comes to the high seas biodiversity treaty. We were one of the first countries to sign it and we have been leading, with Belize, the international negotiations to prepare the treaty for implementation. I support this bill wholeheartedly and am proud to be contributing to its passage through parliament.”

Labor • MP • 30 Mar 2026

“Not a single law will solve this crisis overnight, but this is a critical step towards healthier oceans, stronger ecosystems and a more sustainable future. In this place, we can choose to lead. We can choose to act with courage, guided by science and responsibility. That's why I commend this bill to the House.”

Labor • MP • 30 Mar 2026

“This bill is about responsibility: responsibility for our environment, responsibility for our communities and responsibility for future generations. The ocean connects us all, and protecting it is a shared task. In my electorate, people understand what is at stake. They see the ocean every day, they rely on it and they can expect us to act. This bill meets that expectation. It strengthens Australia's leadership, it protects our national interest and it contributes to a global effort to safeguard the health of our oceans. If we want our communities to continue to thrive, if we want our environment to be protected and if we want future generations to enjoy what we all enjoy today, then we must act. This bill is part of that action. I commend the bill to the House.”

Labor • MP • 30 Mar 2026

“Australia has engaged in the more than 20 years of discussion and negotiations for this treaty, and we are co-chairing the process to prepare for the first meeting of the conference of the parties. I commend this bill because it is necessary for Australia to (1) ratify the treaty and safeguard the health of our shared ocean, (2) support our thriving ocean economy for future generations and (3) maintain our hard-earned reputation as a global ocean leader. I thank all members for their contributions and I commend the bill to the House.”

Labor • MP • 31 Mar 2026

“I want to thank the advocates who helped get this over the line, including Drew Alsop and Damian Spruce from the Minderoo Foundation, as well as the Parliamentary Friends of the Ocean and the Parliamentary Friends of Sustainable Development. They've all worked really hard to put the environment at the forefront of what a good government does. Be it on this, be it on environmental law reform passed late last year or be it on setting an achievable and ambitious emissions reduction target, I hope that Australians know we have the environment and care for our ecosystems at the centre of what we do. We owe our existence today to a healthy planet, and today, by passing this bill, hopefully we take a step towards ensuring that the existence of this beautiful planet continues for generations to come. We don't have any other option; we need to look after this planet.”

Labor • MP • 30 Mar 2026

“Ms TRISH COOK (Bullwinkel) (19:10): I rise today in support of the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026. For a nation like Australia, an island continent defined by its relationship with the sea, this legislation is a historic step towards securing the blue heart of our planet. Beyond our national waters lie the high seas. This vast expanse covers 60 per cent of the global ocean yet currently only one per cent of these waters are protected. Today, the Albanese government is acting on that.”

Labor • MP • 30 Mar 2026

“So ratifying the high seas biodiversity treaty demonstrates Australia's commitment to international law and our commitment to better protecting our ocean and its marine life for future generations. I'm pleased to support this bill.”

Labor • MP • 31 Mar 2026

“In closing, the coalition supports this bill. We support it because it gives effect to a treaty that Australia helped negotiate. We support it because it provides a framework for protecting biodiversity in the high seas, and we support it because it aligns with Australia's longstanding commitment to responsible ocean stewardship, but that does not mean a blank cheque. We will continue to scrutinise the implementation of this treaty. We will continue to advocate for practical, efficient and effective regulation and will continue to hold the government to account for delays, for lack of detail and for any failure to deliver on its commitments. Australia has a proud record when it comes to managing our oceans. That record was strengthened under the coalition, and we intend to ensure that it's not diminished under this government.”

LNP • MP • 26 Mar 2026

“In my time remaining, I would reinforce to the chamber this is an important bill, one that should pass the Senate as quickly as possible so that the great work of all the conservationists and all of those in the department can continue to protect our natural world.”

Liberal • Senator • 23 Mar 2026

“We acknowledge the work of the government in bringing this bill forward. We will be looking to support this on a bipartisan basis. We look forward to questioning the government on its enforcement record, when it puts in place its new environmental bureaucracy. We hope that it is a bureaucracy which does more harm—does less harm than good. I'm trying to work on that one. 'Does more good than bad'—maybe that's a good one; what do you think? Good? You can't answer the question. So that's what we hope. We hope this will be a good proposal.”

Liberal • Senator • 23 Mar 2026

“Mr KENNEDY (Cook) (19:06): The coalition proudly supports the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026. This legislation is necessary to finally put in place the UN high seas treaty after years of delay under Labor. The people of Cook are huge supporters of the ocean—as am I. Proudly announced as Australia's best beach in 2026, Bate Bay is the pride of the Sutherland Shire, much of Sydney and much of Australia.”

Liberal • MP • 30 Mar 2026

“Right now, our oceans are under immense strain, and this is why the Greens welcome and support the High Seas Biodiversity Bill.”

Greens • Senator • 23 Mar 2026

“The Greens welcome this legislation, will be supporting it and regard it as a significant step forward.”

Greens • Senator • 23 Mar 2026

“The High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026 establishes a long-overdue framework for protecting marine genetic resources, strengthening Australia's compliance with our international obligations and providing certainty for our scientific, commercial and research communities. It will contribute to advances in understanding and sustainable use of one of the largest and least understood parts of our beautiful planet. If properly enforced, it should ensure that Australia plays its part in safeguarding biodiversity and share in the benefits of those resources. I commend the bill to the House.”

Independent • MP • 30 Mar 2026

“The high seas are not someone else's problem but are a problem of all of us. It's a living system that shapes our coasts, our weather, our fisheries and our future. This bill is a chance to move from signature to stewardship, to bring international commitments into Australian law with real enforcement, real transparency and real ambition. There is now a clear mandate to pass the bill, fund it and use it to protect our oceans.”

Independent • MP • 31 Mar 2026

“Returning to the bill before us, the high seas treaty provides an opportunity to better manage existing and emerging risks in the deep ocean, such as bottom trawling, deep-sea mining and other activities where the environmental impacts are still uncertain. Having a framework that supports precaution and proper environmental assessment is essential, and this legislation is an important step. It establishes the framework we need to better protect the high seas, and ratifying it positions Australia to play a constructive role in that effort. I commend the government for bringing this bill forward, and I support its passage. I also acknowledge the work of the Australian environmental and conservation organisations, scientists and advocates who have contributed to this outcome over many, many years. Their efforts have been critical in getting us to this point. I commend this bill to the House.”

Independent • MP • 30 Mar 2026