<
https://theconversation.com/the-high-seas-are-supposed-to-belong-to-everyone-a-new-un-treaty-aims-to-make-it-law-201245>
"It may come as a surprise to fellow land-dwellers, but the ocean actually
accounts for most of the habitable space on our planet. Yet a big chunk of it
has been left largely unmanaged. It’s a vast global common resource, and the
focus of a new treaty called the biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction
(BBNJ) agreement.
For 15 years, UN member states have been negotiating rules that will apply to
the ocean lying more than 200 nautical miles from coastlines, including the
seabed and the air space above, referred to as the “high seas”.
Covering nearly half the Earth’s surface, the high seas are shared by all
nations under international law, with equal rights to navigate, fish and
conduct scientific research. Until now, only a small number of states have
taken advantage of these opportunities.
This new agreement is supposed to help more countries get involved by creating
rules for more fairly sharing the rewards from new fields of scientific
discovery. This includes assisting developing countries with research funding
and the transfer of technology.
Countries that join the treaty must also ensure that they properly assess and
mitigate any environmental impacts from vessels or aircraft in the high seas
under their jurisdiction. This will be especially relevant for novel activities
like removing plastic.
Once at least 60 states have ratified the agreement (this may take three years
or more), it will be possible to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) in
high sea locations of special value.
This could protect unique ecosystems like the Sargasso Sea: a refuge of
floating seaweed bounded by ocean currents in the north Atlantic which offers
breeding habitat for countless rare species. By restricting what can happen at
these sites, MPAs can help marine life persevere against climate change,
acidification, pollution and fishing."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
