New treaty helps protect high seas wildlife
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After a decade of negotiations and the last two weeks of round-the-clock negotiations, nations around the world have agreed to a new treaty to protect the world’s high seas.
The agreement, signed in New York on March 4, establishes the legal framework that will ultimately authorize the designation of international waters as marine sanctuaries.
But while campaigners hailed the news as a “historic day for conservation,” it was only the beginning of a long journey to ensure the world’s oceans are properly protected for future generations. I warned you not to.
What is the high seas?
“High Seas” means oceans that are in international waters and are not subject to rules and regulations set by governments. About two-thirds of the world’s oceans fall into this category, covering half the planet in total. There are few legal protections to govern activities on the high seas, especially when environmental issues are a concern.
“The high seas belong to everyone. Legally, they are considered the ‘common heritage of mankind’, just like the universe and the moon,” said Frida Bengsson of Stockholm University in Sweden in a statement. .
International waters are home to hotspots of marine biodiversity and unique habitats such as deep-sea coral gardens and underwater mountains. However, these ecosystems are increasingly stressed and many marine species such as sharks, rays and whales are threatened with extinction due to overfishing and climate change. For years, marine biologists have argued that stricter environmental protection is needed to give the ocean and its inhabitants any chance of survival.
What is the High Seas Treaty?
Formally known as the Beyond National Jurisdiction Convention on Biological Diversity, the agreement provides the first legal framework for applying environmental protection to the high seas.
Countries have been discussing the treaty since 2004 and have attempted to reach agreement three times in the past year alone.
However, the talks have been controversial. Countries have long debated how to divide the benefits of genetic resources on the high seas. Financing and fishing rights were also big issues.
Since last year’s COP15 biodiversity summit in Montreal, Canada, there has been pressure on member states to reach an agreement to advance marine conservation work. Environmental groups such as Greenpeace have set important goals agreed at COP15, such as the goal of protecting 30% of the world’s land and sea by 2030 (known as 30 by 30) in the absence of a treaty governing the high seas. He warned that it would be impossible to achieve such a goal. .
Coordinated diplomatic efforts by the so-called Coalition of Ambition, including the European Union (EU), the United States, the United Kingdom, and China, were also essential to remove impediments to the deal. Pledges of further funding to support action also helped. On March 2, the EU announced her €816.5m (£723m) worth of ocean protection commitments.
What does the Convention Accomplish?
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that the long-awaited treaty would prove “crucial in addressing the triple global crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution”.
One of the most important elements of the document is the provision allowing the creation of international marine protected areas in which activities such as industrial fishing and deep-sea mining are restricted. The move is considered essential in enabling the world to achieve her 30 x 30 goal.
Greenpeace said the new treaty is a viable starting point to reach the 30×30 target. “We are finally able to move from talk to real change at sea,” said Laura Mellor, Marine Campaigns Officer at Greenpeace Nordic, in her statement.
The treaty also includes plans to overhaul environmental impact assessments that calculate the potential damage of human activities on the high seas. Under the Convention, all countries must follow consistent ground rules for conducting these assessments.
There are provisions for sharing the benefits of genetic material from the oceans and regular ‘COP’ summits to ensure that the treaty is properly enforced.
what happens next?
Reaching agreement on the text of the Convention is a major breakthrough, but it is only the beginning of a long process of ratification and implementation.
The Convention must be formally adopted by Member States and ratified by at least 60 States before it enters into force. Similar international treaties, such as the Paris Climate Agreement, have taken almost a year to sign and ratify.
There will also be more issues to be resolved at future conferences, such as how to manage, connect and strengthen marine protected areas.
“The new High Seas Treaty marks an important milestone,” said Andreas Hansen of the nonprofit The Nature Conservancy in a statement. “The seas don’t have time, so nations must adopt and ratify the treaty now and use its power to turn the words on the page into sea interests.”
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