For the first time, United Nations members have agreed on a unified treaty to protect biodiversity in the high seas, representing a turning point for vast stretches of the planet where conservation has previously been hampered by a confusing patchwork of laws. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea came into force in 1994, before marine biodiversity was a well-established concept. The treaty agreement concluded two weeks of talks in New York, per the AP. An updated framework to protect marine life in the regions outside national boundary waters, known as the high seas, had been in discussions for more than 20 years, but previous efforts to reach an agreement had repeatedly stalled. The unified treaty, which applies to nearly half the planet's surface, was reached late Saturday. Formal adoption is outstanding, with conservationists and environmental groups vowing to watch closely.
"We only really have two major global commons—the atmosphere and the oceans," says Georgetown marine biologist Rebecca Helm. While the oceans may draw less attention, "protecting this half of Earth's surface is absolutely critical to the health of our planet." Nichola Clark, an oceans expert at the Pew Charitable Trusts who observed the talks in New York, calls the long-awaited treaty "a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect the oceans—a major win for biodiversity." The treaty will create a new body to manage conservation of ocean life and establish marine-protected areas in the high seas. Clark said that's critical to achieve the UN Biodiversity Conference's recent pledge to protect 30% of the planet's waters, as well as its land, for conservation.
The high seas have long suffered exploitation due to commercial fishing and mining, as well as pollution from chemicals and plastics. The new agreement is about "acknowledging that the ocean is not a limitless resource, and it requires global cooperation to use the ocean sustainably,” Rutgers University biologist Malin Pinsky said. Several marine species—including dolphins, whales, sea turtles, and many fish—make long annual migrations, crossing national borders and the high seas. Efforts to protect them, along with human communities that rely on fishing or tourism related to marine life, have long proven difficult for international governing bodies. "This treaty will help to knit together the different regional treaties to be able to address threats and concerns across species' ranges," said Jessica Battle, an oceans governance expert at the World Wide Fund for Nature.
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