In recent decades it has become recognized that the high seas contain some of the planet’s most precious ecosystems. These ecosystems have been adversely impacted by different human activities, including shipping, through the cumulative effects of events such as ship strikes, ship noise, emissions, chemical pollution and the spread of invasive species. Whilst the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea established a general obligation on member states to protect the marine environment and cooperate to that end, there has long been consensus that there were various gaps in its provisions. The High Seas Treaty seeks to fill those gaps and put in place a framework for the protection of our oceans and the equitable sharing of their resources.