Sargasso Sea Commission

Call Directions Website

Sargasso Sea Commission "To encourage and facilitate voluntary collaboration toward the conservation of the Sargasso Sea" The Sea has been called a golden floating rainforest.

The Sargasso Sea is named for the Sargassum seaweed that creates its unique ecosystem. It is a haven of biodiversity and there is growing recognition of the crucial role it plays in the wider North Atlantic ecosystem as habitat, foraging and spawning grounds and as a migratory corridor. Endangered European and American eels migrate to the Sargasso to breed. Wahoo, tuna and other pelagic fish forage in and migrate through the Sea, as do a number of whale species, notably sperm whales and humpbacks. The Sargasso Sea supports a range of endemic species and plays a critical role in supporting the life cycle of a number of threatened and endangered species such as the Porbeagle shark, the American and the European eel, as well as billfish, tuna and several species of turtle, migratory birds and cetaceans.The Sargassum mats are home to many endemic species and provide a protective ‘nursery’ for juvenile fish and turtles. There is emerging recognition of the crucial role it plays in the wider ecosystem ranging from the Atlantic to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. The Sargasso Sea Commission was established pursuant to the Hamilton Declaration on Collaboration for the Conservation of the Sargasso Sea, signed on 11 March 2014, by the governments of the Azores, Bermuda, Monaco, UK and US. The Commission will “encourage and facilitate voluntary collaboration toward the conservation of the Sargasso Sea.” While the Commission has no management authority, it will “exercise a stewardship role for the Sargasso Sea and keep its health, productivity and resilience under continual review.” A more specific initial mandate is listed in Annex II of the Declaration. The Commission is the result of three years of work by the Sargasso Sea Alliance, and operates as a stand-alone legal entity established by Bermudian and US law. Operating in a largely virtual setting, Commissioners will serve in-kind in their personal capacity and will be supported by a small Secretariat based at the IUCN Washington, DC office. Commissioners were appointed by the Government of Bermuda and were selected through a consultation process in Spring 2014 by governments who support the aims of the Hamilton Declaration.

10/21/2026
10/21/2026
The Hamilton II Declaration has been signed by seven initial governments: Bermuda, the UK, the Azores, Monaco, the Baham...
10/20/2026

The Hamilton II Declaration has been signed by seven initial governments: Bermuda, the UK, the Azores, Monaco, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands 🎉 This Declaration has taken about a year to come to fruition, but the groundwork to make it happen extends many years into the past, with the Sargasso Sea Commission bringing together a 'coalition of the willing' for more than a decade to conserve the the Sargasso Sea.

The finalisation of the BBNJ agreement presents a golden opportunity for the conservation of the Sargasso Sea - it provides a pathway, for the first time, to internationally legally binding protection for high seas areas.

Under the Hamilton II Declaration, signatories agree to "support the process of development of a collective proposal to establish area-based management tools in the Sargasso Sea, under the BBNJ Agreement, and other relevant legal instruments, frameworks or bodies, as appropriate, at the earliest possible opportunity."

The Hamilton II Declaration is a joint initiative between the governments of Bermuda and the UK. The signing ceremony took place on October 19, 2026 at Government House in Bermuda. Speakers included 🇬🇧 Governor Andrew Murdoch, Governor of Bermuda, 🇧🇲 Minister Jache Adams, Minister of Public Works and Environment for Bermuda, 🇬🇧 Minister Uma Kumaran, Minister for the Overseas Territories, the Caribbean and Global Technology, and David Freestone, Executive Secretary of the Sargasso Sea Commission.

Distinguished delegates from signatory governments also joined the celebration including the Hon. Mário Pinho, Secretary for the Seas and Fisheries, 🇲🇨 Ambassador Isabelle Picco, Monaco Permanent Mission to the UN, 🇧🇸 Ambassador Ron Pinder, Government of the Bahamas, the 🇰🇾 Hon. Wayne Panton, Parliamentary Secretary for the Cayman Islands, and the 🇹🇨 Hon. Zhavargo Jolly, Minister of Tourism, Agriculture, Fisheries, Environment & Gaming for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Declaration is open for signature to governments, but also to civil society organisations. Ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction are some of the most ecologically important in the world - home to amazing biodiversity and responsible for regulating the world's climate. The high seas touch each one of us, they belong to everyone, and each of us has a responsibility to act as stewards for their conservation.

10/20/2026

A passionate speech was delivered by the Minister of Public Works and Environment at the signing of landmark agreement for ocean conservation. Jaché Adams spoke when he put his name to the Hamilton I...

10/20/2026
10/19/2026

🇧🇲🇬🇧 Bermuda has welcomed Uma Kumaran MP, UK Minister for the Overseas Territories, the Caribbean and Global Technology, on her first visit to the island.

Tune in today, Monday, 19 October, at 2 pm as Minister Kumaran signs the Hamilton II Declaration.

A joint initiative by Bermuda and the United Kingdom, the Declaration will build global support for protecting the Sargasso Sea under the United Nations Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement (BBNJ Agreement). This marks an important step in international cooperation for the conservation and sustainable use of the Sargasso Sea.

Watch live on CITV, YouTube or Facebook .

Representatives of the Sargasso Sea Commission are proud to be in Bermuda for a historic occasion - the signing of the H...
10/19/2026

Representatives of the Sargasso Sea Commission are proud to be in Bermuda for a historic occasion - the signing of the Hamilton Declaration II.

A joint initiative between the Governments of Bermuda and the UK, with support from the Sargasso Sea Commission, the Declaration is a mechanism for Signatories to signal political support for developing a collective area based management tool proposal for the conservation of the Sargasso Sea under the BBNJ Agreement.

🇧🇲🇬🇧 Bermuda has welcomed Uma Kumaran MP, UK Minister for the Overseas Territories, the Caribbean and Global Technology, on her first visit to the island.

Tune in today, Monday, 19 October, at 2 pm as Minister Kumaran signs the Hamilton II Declaration.

Watch live on CITV, YouTube or Facebook

The Sargasso Sea Commission is supporting an exciting event taking place on Monday - the initial signing of the Hamilton...
10/14/2026

The Sargasso Sea Commission is supporting an exciting event taking place on Monday - the initial signing of the Hamilton Declaration II!

The Declaration acknowledges the global importance of conserving the Sargasso Sea and provides a mechanism for the Signatories to signal political support for developing a collective ABMT proposal under the BBNJ Agreement.

Uma Kumaran, the British Minister of State for the Overseas Territories, the Caribbean and Global Technology, will make an inaugural trip to Bermuda next week, the Government announced today. Ms Kumar...

09/30/2026

A documentary which offers groundbreaking insights into the complex pelagic social lives of North Atlantic humpback whales has claimed a top prize at a global film festival. If They Were Us: The H...

Address

1630 Connecticut Avenue NW, Ste 300
Washington D.C., DC
20009

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

(202) 518-2071

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Sargasso Sea Commission posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share