Historic treaty for ocean protection

“The ship has reached the shore,” said UN conference president Rena Lee. The adoption of the High Seas Treaty on March 4 was a historic moment for global conservation. With the treaty, at least 30 percent of the sea must be protected area by 2030.

We have worked with partner organizations who fought for this treaty for over 15 years . The perseverance and longstanding focus of partners such as the High Seas Alliance have contributed to this important milestone.

A few facts about the treaty:

•  193 countries reached an agreement for this treaty.
• The treaty determines how much fishing is allowed in the protected areas. It is also being examined which routes shipping may use and rules will be imposed on deep-sea mining.
• To achieve the target, 11 million square kilometers of ocean must be protected annually from now on.
• Oceans make up 70 percent of the earth’s surface, two thirds of which are international waters. At the moment, only 1.2 percent of this is protected, so there is still a long way to go.

Sources: NOS, RTL Nieuws, The Guardian