The New U.N. Treaty to Protect the High Seas
It’s no secret that our oceans aren’t faring well. Ocean acidification, plastic pollution, overfishing, and poorly regulated mining and oil drilling are just a few of the dire threats to our global ocean.
Several countries have established ocean preserves to protect fish stocks and other marine life, but so far, these protected areas only cover a tiny percentage of the sea. The high seas — also referred to as international waters, or that vast area of the ocean beyond any country’s territory — are especially vulnerable. Only 1.2% of international waters are protected.
A binding treaty to protect the high seas has been a major goal for conservationists and international organizations for decades, but progress has been slow. It’s been difficult for the countries of the world to reach such an agreement. However, 200 United Nations (UN) member states finally signed an international treaty to protect the high seas in early March 2023. Here’s what to know about this groundbreaking, potentially game-changing ocean conservation agreement.
What Is The New Treaty?
In 1994, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea came into force. This was the last major international agreement that established a legal framework for activity on the high seas, though the US never signed on. Over the past few decades, there has been a push to create a new international agreement to protect the high seas, given what we’ve learned about marine biodiversity and the ocean’s importance to our climate since the early 1990s.
These efforts finally culminated in a treaty signed in March 2023 by 200 UN member nations. The UN High Seas Treaty will cover international waters that are not governed by any one nation.
As a result of the treaty, around two-thirds of the ocean will fall under a legal framework that will allow for the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs). Much like national parks or designated wilderness areas on land, MPAs will help protect marine life and ocean habitats from commercial fishing, industrial activities like offshore oil drilling, and other human activities that could cause environmental harm.
In addition, the treaty also calls for a regular conference of the parties (COP) in which nations will be held accountable for their actions regarding biodiversity and governance.
The treaty will also allow for the creation of environmental assessments to evaluate the environmental impact of activities like deep sea mining projects before they begin.
Why Is Protecting the High Seas So Important?
Protecting the high seas is critical because they represent most (about two-thirds) of the global ocean — and the ocean is our most important shared ecosystem and natural resource. Like the air we breathe, it’s held in common, and not wholly controlled by any one country.
The oceans produce roughly half of the oxygen in the atmosphere. They represent 95% of our planet’s biosphere and they help soak up a significant portion of the carbon dioxide that is driving climate change and causing global warming. Without our oceans, the planet would also be much, much hotter. Scientists estimate the ocean has absorbed about 90% of the excess heat created by carbon dioxide emissions. The oceans are so important to our planetary health that they might be described as Earth’s lungs.
The high seas are also critical to protect because they’re home to so many fish and other marine species. Dolphins, whales, and sea turtles are just a few of the creatures that swim thousands of miles, crossing the high seas and passing through different countries’ territories on their migration routes. This treaty enables the creation of safe havens for these species. By establishing areas where commercial fishing is prohibited or highly limited, the treaty may also help prevent fish stocks from collapsing.
Why the Treaty Matters
This treaty makes large-scale ocean conservation possible. Ocean protection has largely happened on a piecemeal scale via smaller, regional treaties that mostly concern areas closer to shore, or via protected areas within one country’s territorial waters. The high seas have been a kind of wild west where conservation laws — if they exist at all — are only weakly enforced.
Without a global, legally binding treaty, it has been difficult to establish and enforce the kind of large, protected areas that are needed for ocean conservation. Put simply, this treaty will help protect the ocean in ways that haven’t been possible in the past.
The treaty is also a huge step forward that will help the world achieve the “30x30” goal that more than 190 nations adopted at the UN biodiversity conference in Montreal last fall. These nations signed a pledge to protect 30% of the world’s land and oceans by 2030. Without the High Seas Treaty, 30x30 would be impossible.
When Will the Treaty Take Effect?
Though 200 UN member states have signed the treaty, it will not take effect right away. The countries involved in the treaty still have to formally adopt and ratify it at home. In an effort to help build trust between poor and rich nations, the European Union has pledged to donate a total of $42 million to help ratify and implement the treaty.
The hope is that with the cooperation of all signed parties, the treaty will be implemented quickly — while there’s still time for countries to make good on their 30x30 pledges.
Final Thoughts
Protecting the world’s oceans — our most important shared resource — is a monumental responsibility, and one that’s been challenging countries for decades. However, with this new cooperative effort led by the UN, we may see more progress.
