Most of the ocean does not belong to anyone, but it is everyone’s responsibility.
Almost two thirds of Earth’s seas are found beyond the jurisdiction of any nation, and in these “high seas” they are a reward: more than 90 percent of the oceanic habitat and some of the highest deposits of the planet’s biodiversity.
However, only about 1 percent of the ones are currently protected, despite the threats due to overfishing, plastic pollution and climate change, with the mining of marine beds in the near future.
An emblematic Treaty of the United Nations to protect the high seas aims to change that, it only has to be ratified by countries. First adopted in 2023, the high seas treaty opens to the marine areas protected in the waters beyond national jurisdictions. Only 31 nations have ratified so far, so it has not yet entered into force.
Global leaders will meet for the United Nations Third Conference in the United Nations (UNEC) in France this week, and Ocean Advocates hope they will provide impulse to reach the 60 countries necessary to ratify the treaty.
Monica Medina, Arnhold Fellow of Conservation International, recently spoke with the conservation news about this Treaty of decades in the creation of decades, and what is at stake.
Conservation news: Let’s start with a scene environment: Why is the high seas treaty historical?
Monica Medina: The high seas constitutes almost half of the planet’s surface, however, only a splinter of that rapid extension and largely unexplored has been protected. And since no country controls the thesis waters, it can be like Wild West. That is why the high seas treaty is so critical – It is intended to intensify and fill that void.
And they are years in manufacturing, returning to the UN Convention of the UN of the UN 1982. Also known as the law of the Sea Treaty, the “Constitution” of the Ocean is considered, and improves the belief that they exist or the ocean that we must protect as a human race to survive.
And it could not arrive at a more important moment, since the isolationist thought is increasing and multilatery is in question. This week is a crucial moment for the world to try and say, yes, we are still working together and this is a priority.
Where is the treaty ahead of the UNPOC?
Mm: Until now, approximately 30 countries ratified the treaty, so we are in the middle. It is a bit disappointing that we are not more advanced, but I am optimistic that events like UNPOC will give us impulse. In the last two months prior to the conference, 10 new countries have been signed. And I hope more announce the ratification while we are at the conference.
As expected, it takes time to ratify a treaty, which is a binding legal agreement. Because the high ones exist from the jurisdiction of any country, that is necessary since the whole country needs to accept it. Without that support, the marine areas protected on the high seas run the risk of becoming “paper parks” without any real application or protection.
Two things give me the hope that it will soon come into force. On the one hand, the first day the treaty was open for the firm with the intention of ratifying, almost 100 countries were recorded immediately. And, the first preparatory session to implement the treaty already has tasks, where representatives have made details such as potential areas to aim for protection and how to address financing.
This year there are several other important environmental meetings, including COP30 in Brazil. These events are pressure points that create deadlines for the country to try and do the job.
What is at stake?
Mm: Dr. Jane Lubchenko, a recognized Marine Biologist and former head of the Oceanic and Atmospheric National Administration (NOAA), wisely said that the oceans are too great to ignore. In the past, we or although of them as giant and permanent places that could never be overexplanted. Look today’s headlines on the fall of fish populations, climate change and fugitive plastic pollution and is crystalline: they are not unlimited.
Protected are our best tool to restore and defend the oceans. In fact, we cannot reach our global goal of “30 by 30”, which almost all countries of the Earth, excluding the United States, have been advised, to protect 30 percent of the lands and seas of the planet with high seas. It is really important to direct places that still had the strong trace of human impact and try to hold on to them. Many of those places are on the high seas, and are threatened by illegal fishing and the potential to extract precious metals in the seabed, with great damage to the environment.
Less spoken, but also important is the angle of bioproscado of the treaty. What does that mean? It is essential about organisms on the high seas and its potential for scientific advances, whether it is developing a plastic replacement or new medical medicines that save lives. We are barely beginning to discover how to perform this part of the treaty, but ensures that these new genetic discoveries are classified and shared throughout the world so that everyone can benefit Becoaus to the highs.
What follows?
Mm: Once the treaty is ratified, a 120 -day regressive account begins in force. Within a year, the first meeting of the UN Conference of the Parties will be held, where the country accepts measures to protect the high seas, such as the protected marine areas and how to finance these efforts.
Conservation International has focused on supporting the ratification and implementation of the treaty and how to implement this legal framework as a founding member of Blue Nature Alliance.
We are also leaders of the coral reefs of the High Seas coalition, which has already identified several high -seas areas as priorities for protection. One of them is the ridges of Salas and Gómez and Nazca, a mountain series or chains of deep waters on the coasts of Peru and Chile. It is a migration corridor for sharks, whales and turtles, and home of reef construction corals, which support through submarine gardens. More, these waters have a deep cultural significance: Polynesian travelers crossed them for thousands of years while exploring from the West Pacific to Rapa Nui.
The high seas treaty has been a long time: we are so close to becoming a reality. I hope that this conference will give the impulse we need to cross the finish line and get to work.
Mary Kate McCoy is a personnel writer at Conservation International. Why read more stories like this? Register to obtain updates by email. In addition, please support our critical work.
