From NOTICE News Daily for March 13, 2023
The United Nations has established a treaty to protect the high seas, or international waters, which are not regulated by any specific country. The treaty aims to protect the oceans by designating 30% of them as protected areas and limiting activities such as fishing and deep-sea mining. Negotiators had to balance economic interests with environmental concerns, but the agreement is seen as a historic step towards conservation.
MORE INFO:
- Go deeper: What is the UN High Seas Treaty and why is it needed? (BBC News)
TRANSCRIPT
Jonathan: The United Nations recently completed a historic treaty to protect the high seas.
The high seas, sometimes referred to as international waters, are the portions of any bodies of water that are not owned or directly regulated by any country.
Because these waters aren’t directly regulated, nations have to work together to agree on what is and isn’t acceptable.
The high seas treaty aims to protect the world’s oceans by declaring 30% of them as protected areas. Limits will be placed on the amount of fishing, deep sea mining, and exploration that can be done in these protected areas.
These regulations will likely protect certain species of animals and help to maintain biodiversity. More than 100 countries negotiated the treaty and it’s been under discussion for 15 years.
Nat: “Good evening-ish” … “the ship has reached the shore”
Negotiators had to balance the economic interests of each country, but also the environmental impact of economic activity like mining.
An ocean campaigner for Greenpeace called this quote “a historic day for conservation and a sign that in a divided world, protecting nature and people can triumph over geopolitics.”
