On March 4, 2023, UN member states agreed on the first international treaty to protect the high seas.
This iconic treaty to conserve and ensure the sustainable use of ocean biodiversity was agreed upon by more than 190 countries after 15 years of intense UN-led negotiations.
So, what are the high seas and how does this treaty regulate them?
The high seas are areas of oceans that lie beyond countries’ national waters (beyond 200 nautical miles). These are the largest habitat on Earth and are home to millions of species. High seas comprise more than 60% of the world’s oceans and nearly half the planet’s surface. But only about 1% of the high seas are currently protected. The UN High Seas Treaty is a framework to protect the world's oceans by bringing them under protected areas aka MPAs. The treaty is designed to ensure the sustainable and equitable use of marine resources. The treaty is seen as a crucial component in the “30 by 30” targets agreed in Montreal, Canada, in December 2022. “30 by 30” is a global effort to bring 30% of the world’s land and sea under protection by 2030. Greenpeace Data shows that 11 million square km of the ocean must be protected annually until 2030 to meet this target.
The treaty will also oblige countries to conduct environmental impact assessments of any proposed activities on the high seas. The new treaty will try and regulate high seas activities like fishing, the routes of shipping lanes and deep-sea mining. The popular belief is that the treaty will lead to restrictions on High sea mining and fishing. However as experts point out that might not be the case. Although The treaty will enable equal profit sharing from marine genetic resources, such as biological material from plants and animals in the ocean, a framework regarding this is yet to be designed. The UN High seas treaty is a huge step in the right direction. Many parts of the agreement is state-driven and will need a major step up.
