Abstract The adoption of the BBNJ Agreement represents a major achievement in multilateral negotiations. This article explores the relationship and potential interactions between the Agreement and regional fisheries management organizations, with a focus on the key mechanisms of the Agreement. Specifically, the analysis focuses on the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC), critically assessing whether, and to what extent, NEAFC’s constituent instrument and institutional framework facilitate the potential interactions with the BBNJ Agreement. The analysis highlights both the opportunities and the challenges. While NEAFC’s progressive biodiversity conservation measures align with the BBNJ Agreement’s objectives, its decision-making mechanism and opt-out mechanism and the divergent positions of its member states represent significant hurdles that could influence the Agreement’s implementation. Thus, the level of concurrence between the two instruments raises concerns about a fragmented approach to governance in the North-East Atlantic. Consequently, this article emphasizes the critical importance of unified political will and the need for states to commit by ratifying the Agreement to ensure its effective implementation.
Ingrid Solstad Andreassen (Wed,) studied this question.