The International Guidelines for the Management of Deep-sea Fisheries in the High Seas (DSF Guidelines) were adopted by FAO in 2008. The first and only review of the implementation of the Guidelines took place in 2010. There have been many advances in implementation since then and it is timely to conduct another review. The DSF Guidelines have been used to guide regional fisheries management organizations and states in the development of spatial management processes defining fishing grounds and protecting vulnerable marine ecosystems. The DSF Guidelines also require that harvested fish stocks and impacts on bycatch species are assessed and managed, but this has been less well implemented.