SeDNAs Position on eDNA and BBNJ Agreement

The Southern eDNA Society (SeDNAs) welcomes the entry into force of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, United Nations, 2023). The Agreement represents a major step forward in international ocean governance and provides an important opportunity to strengthen conservation, sustainable use,  equitable benefit sharing, scientific collaboration, and responsible stewardship of biodiversity in the global ocean.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is transforming our ability to observe biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. By enabling non-invasive, scalable biodiversity monitoring across remote marine environments, eDNA is becoming an important component of ocean biodiversity observation, supporting conservation, ecosystem stewardship, marine biosecurity, and evidence-based decision making.

As implementation of the BBNJ Agreement proceeds, the key governance challenge is not whether eDNA should be governed, but how different forms of eDNA-derived information should be governed according to their intended use, sensitivity, and potential value. Routine biodiversity observation differs fundamentally from applications directed towards resource utilisation, commercial development, or other higher-risk uses and should not automatically be subject to identical governance arrangements. SeDNAs therefore supports proportionate, use-based governance that enables biodiversity observation and biosecurity surveillance while applying additional safeguards where they are genuinely justified.

Our guiding principle: managed openness

As open as possible, as protected as necessary.

Managed openness means making biodiversity information as accessible as possible while protecting information where cultural, conservation, biosecurity, or commercial considerations require appropriate safeguards.

SeDNAs considers managed openness to be a guiding principle for implementing eDNA governance under the BBNJ Agreement. Routine biodiversity observations should maximise their value as shared environmental knowledge that supports conservation, stewardship, scientific collaboration, and equitable participation. At the same time, governance frameworks should apply proportionate safeguards where information is sensitive or where there is a credible pathway to misuse or commercial utilisation or resource extraction.

Our position

SeDNAs supports implementation approaches that:

• Adopt proportionate, use-based governance for eDNA-derived information

• Distinguish routine biodiversity observation and biosecurity surveillance from extractive or commercial uses of marine genetic resources

• Implement managed openness, enabling broad sharing of routine biodiversity and biosecurity data while applying safeguards where justified

• Minimise unnecessary barriers to non-invasive biodiversity monitoring, conservation, and scientific research

• Support broad participation, including researchers from lower-resource settings, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and citizen science initiatives

• Promote interoperable international biodiversity and biosecurity data systems, open data sharing where appropriate, and capacity building to support equitable participation

• Provide clear guidance for digital sequence information generated through eDNA studies, ensuring that biodiversity monitoring, biosecurity awareness, conservation, and other non-commercial research are not subject to unnecessary uncertainty or administrative burden

Routine eDNA biodiversity observations provide shared environmental knowledge that underpins conservation, stewardship, and marine biosecurity. Implementation of the BBNJ Agreement should maximise the public value of these observations while ensuring that sensitive information receives appropriate and proportionate protection.

SeDNAs looks forward to working with governments, Indigenous Peoples, the scientific community, and international partners to develop practical, science-aligned approaches that enable the BBNJ Agreement to achieve its objectives while supporting the responsible use of eDNA for conservation and sustainable ocean stewardship.

This position statement represents the views of the Southern eDNA Society Board and does not necessarily represent the views of the authors' employing organisations.