The United Nations’ 193 member states adopted a landmark legally binding marine biodiversity agreement last week following nearly two decades of fierce negotiations.
While countries are responsible for the conservation and sustainable use of waterways under their national jurisdiction, the high seas now have added protection from such destructive trends as pollution and unsustainable fishing activities.
The agreement follows years of forging a common wave of conservation and sustainability in the high seas beyond national boundaries―covering two thirds of the planet’s oceans.
Adopted by the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), the “high seas” treaty aims to take stewardship of the ocean on behalf of present and future generations, in line with the Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The new agreement contains 75 articles that seek to protect, care for and ensure the responsible use of the marine environment, maintain the integrity of ocean ecosystems and conserve the inherent value of marine biological diversity.
The ocean is the lifeblood of our planet, and today, you have pumped new life and hope to give the ocean a fighting chance, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told delegates on Monday.
Toxic chemicals and millions of tons of plastic waste are flooding into coastal ecosystems, killing or injuring fish, sea turtles, seabirds and marine mammals, and making their way into the food chain and ultimately being consumed by humans.
More than 17 million metric tons of plastic entered the world’ss ocean in 2021, making up 85 per cent of marine litter, and projections are expected to double or triple each year by 2040, according to the latest Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) report.
According to UN estimates, by 2050, there could be more plastic in the sea than fish unless action is taken.
The treaty aims to strengthen resilience and contains provisions based on the polluter-pays principle as well as mechanisms for disputes. Under the treaty’s provisions, parties must assess potential environmental impacts of any planned activities beyond their jurisdictions.
More than one third of global fish stocks are over-exploited, according to the UN.UN News
The treaty underlines the importance of capacity building and the transfer of marine technology, including the development and strengthening of institutional capacity and national regulatory frameworks or mechanisms.
This includes increasing collaboration among regional seas organizations and regional fisheries management organizations. UNEP News