The importance of regional collaboration on conservation of the Sargasso Sea was highlighted on the sidelines of an environmental forum at the United Nations.

Jaché Adams, the Minister of Public Works and Environment, said it was important that the Sargasso Sea Commission was present at the second session for the preparatory commission for the entry into force of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction agreement, known as the BBNJ PrepCom.

On August 28, the commission in collaboration with the Bermuda Government hosted a side event at the forum.

Representatives from the The Bahamas, Canada, Monaco, and Britain attended the event.

A government spokesman said the side event shared the experience of the Sargasso Sea Commission in working to conserve the Sargasso Sea for over a decade under the voluntary framework of the 2014 Hamilton Declaration.

The presentations focused on the collection of the best available science for the conservation of the Sargasso Sea as well as strategies for effective stakeholder engagement.

Mr Adams said: “Bermuda is proud to lead the conservation of the Sargasso Sea alongside other governmental partners, and it was especially meaningful to have the Sargasso Sea Commission present at the BBNJ PrepCom meeting.

“Their presence there underscored the importance of regional collaboration and the value of science-based governance in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Bermuda remains steadfast in its support for the Commission’s work.”

Tammy Warren, former Sargasso Sea Commissioner and senior marine resources Officer for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said: “Bermuda is the only landmass within the Sargasso Sea, and Bermudians see it as their sea — their backyard — even though it is about four million square kilometres.”

David Freestone, executive secretary of the commission, added: “The Sargasso Sea Commission's experience is highly applicable to implementing the area-based management tool provisions in the BBNJ agreement.

“We hope that sharing these experiences will encourage the swift and effective implementation of the agreement when it comes into force.”

The BBNJ agreement, which was finalised in 2023, will allow for internationally legally binding marine protected areas to be created on the high seas for the first time, among other reforms.

The spokesman said the work of the Sargasso Sea Commission has been informed by the negotiations of the agreement since 2010.

He said the commission is finalising a comprehensive socio-ecosystem diagnostic analysis for the Sargasso Sea, which lays out the ecological and economic importance of the area, as well as human pressures upon it.

The analysis, called SEDA, will act as the basis for negotiation of a strategic action programme for the Sargasso Sea that will be agreed by stakeholders, including Hamilton Declaration signatories and Sargasso Sea Commissioners.