UN high seas treaty set to take effect to protect marine life
A landmark United Nations treaty to protect marine biodiversity in international waters will come into force on Saturday, after 81 governments completed national ratification procedures.
Formally known as the High Seas Treaty, the agreement covers two-thirds of the world’s oceans and aims to safeguard as many as 10 million species from threats including climate change, overfishing and deep-sea mining. Since its adoption in June 2023, 148 UN member states have signed the pact, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.
Island nations such as Palau, Cuba and the Maldives have ratified the treaty alongside major economies including China, Germany, Japan, France and Brazil.
Rebecca Hubbard of the High Seas Alliance said the new rules will help protect an “extraordinary part of our planet”, describing the high seas as essential to global ecosystem health.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called the treaty a “lifeline for the ocean and humanity”, noting that it establishes binding rules for marine conservation, benefit-sharing, protected areas and scientific cooperation.
Several countries — including the United States, India, the United Kingdom and Russia — have signed but not yet ratified, meaning they are not legally bound to its measures.
The Biden and Trump administrations have taken contrasting approaches to ocean policy. While the US signed the High Seas Treaty in 2023, President Donald Trump has since promoted deep-sea mining and expanded offshore drilling, while threatening withdrawal from dozens of UN bodies.
Similar news
