by Hannah Watts
On 4th March, UN member states signed the High Seas Treaty after over a decade of talks and discussions. The treaty is crucial for enforcing the 30x30 pledge made at the UN biodiversity conference in December which promised to protect a third of the sea and land by 20301.Now 30% of the world’s oceans will be placed in protected areas as well as putting more money into marine conservation and new rules for mining at sea.
What are the high seas and why do they need protecting?
The phrase ‘high seas’ is a collective term for sections of the oceans which is considered international water meaning all countries have a right to fish, ship and conduct research there. Until now only 1% of this area has been protected leaving marine life vulnerable to threats such as climate change, overfishing and pollution from shipping traffic.
There are thought to be more than 260,000 different species in the sea and it is estimated that these areas of international water represent ~95% of the Earth's occupied habitat. Despite this more than 80% of the global ocean remains unmapped and unobserved. Nearly 10% of species found in the high seas were thought to be at risk of extinction including Dugongs, a marine animal similar to a manatee, whose population in the wild is less than 1000. Sharks and rays have the biggest extinction threats at 90+% followed closely by Fish at 67%1.
The High Seas Treaty aims to protect these at-risk species from dangerous activity such as deep sea mining - the process of collecting materials from the ocean bed - which disturbs sediment, creates noise pollution and damages breeding grounds. 2
What is the treaty?
The main focus is to place 30% of the world's internal waters into protected areas (MPAs) by 2030. However despite the treaty having been signed, there is still some discussion around the levels of protection with Dr Simon Walmsley, marine chief advisor of WWF-UK saying: "There was debate particularly around what a marine protected area is. Is it sustainable use or fully protected?". 1
The treaty will also establish a COP that will meet periodically in order for member states to be held accountable on issues such as governance and biodiversity.
Other key clauses include: 1
Arrangements for the sharing of marine resources such as biological material from plants and animals which can be used in pharmaceuticals and foods
Requirements for environmental assessments for deep sea activities such as mining.
Will it makes a difference?
It is hoped by many environmental organism actions and charities that this treaty will allow greater accountability in these areas especially when it comes to deep sea mining and collection of biological material for products such as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. However like most treaties, it only makes a difference if implemented quickly and effectively as well as in conjunction with other environmental legislation such as action on oil spills and fuel leaks. Greenpeace says that 11 million square kilometres of ocean needs to be put under protection each year until 20303 to meet the target so only time will tell if it has the impact promised.
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