{"id":111086,"date":"2023-11-09T12:40:09","date_gmt":"2023-11-09T12:40:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alj.com\/?post_type=spotlight-fadyjameel&p=111086"},"modified":"2024-03-26T10:06:02","modified_gmt":"2024-03-26T10:06:02","slug":"adventures-on-the-high-seas-the-193-nation-deal-to-save-our-oceans","status":"publish","type":"spotlight-fadyjameel","link":"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/spotlight-by-fady-jameel\/adventures-on-the-high-seas-the-193-nation-deal-to-save-our-oceans\/","title":{"rendered":"Adventures on the High Seas? The 193-nation deal to save our oceans"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new UN treaty aims to increase protection for the vital resource that covers 71% of the Earth\u2019s surface: the oceans. \u00a0After two decades of negotiation, can the UN High Seas Treaty<\/a> sail its way to a successful outcome and actually make a difference?<\/p>\n

On March 4, 2023 \u2013 after almost 20 years of discussions \u2013 the UN announced the signing of a new High Seas Treaty, an accord aimed at safeguarding the biodiversity and ecosystems of the planet\u2019s least understood, least regulated and least protected marine environment, the \u2018high seas\u2019.<\/p>\n

The treaty, formally known as the Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement,<\/a> was approved by 193 nations after a marathon 36-hour session at the UN headquarters in New York.\u00a0 It\u2019s the first treaty since the early 1980s to try to address the challenges related to the conservation and protection of the high seas.<\/p>\n

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The UN applauds the adoption of the BBNJ Agreement
Photo Credit: \u00a9 IISD\/ENB – Pam Chasek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Announcing the historic event, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: \u201cThis action is a victory for multilateralism and for global efforts to counter the destructive trends facing ocean health, now and for generations to come.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The noble objectives of the treaty give some clue as to why it may have taken 20 years to reach agreement.<\/p>\n

Its main goals are to end unsustainable exploitation of the high seas, fairly share the commercial and scientific bounty found in them and create legislation and mechanisms to assess the viability of large-scale projects in the high seas in a joined-up and global manner.<\/p>\n

The landmark deal provides regulatory oversight and environmental protection to the high seas for the first time and, according to its supporters, should play a crucial role in achieving the 30×30 pledge[1]<\/a> – the global statement of intent, adopted at COP 15 in 2022, to protect a third of the land and sea by 2030.<\/p>\n

As I have written about before, our planet\u2019s oceans sorely need more protection, both from unsustainable exploitation<\/a> and man-made pollution<\/a>.\u00a0 If successfully implemented and adhered to, the UN High Seas Treaty will be pivotal in wider attempts to combat climate change and could help us unlock the treasures of the deep ocean that may provide advances in medicine and science. \u00a0But as with so many visionary climate change-related agreements, it\u2019s a big \u2018if\u2019.<\/p>\n

Wild west of the oceans<\/h2>\n

A new international treaty to safeguard the oceans has got to be a good thing.\u00a0 But the new treaty does not provide blanket protection for all the oceans; it is very specifically focused on the high seas.\u00a0 So, before we can discuss its aims and potential, we first need to define its scope.\u00a0 What exactly are the \u2018high seas\u2019 and why do they need protecting?<\/p>\n

The high seas encompass two-thirds of the world\u2019s oceans and are defined as areas outside the exclusive economic zone of any country[2]<\/a>.\u00a0 This means they are beyond the laws of any national jurisdiction – in other words, unregulated – making them vulnerable to exploitation, pollution and unsustainable commercial activities.<\/p>\n

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Critics say this unregulated environment has created an almost \u2018wild west\u2019 landscape where activities such as deep sea mining<\/a> of the ocean bed, with potentially significant environmental consequences, have been able to take place without due oversight.<\/p>\n

This lack of regulation comes against a backdrop of increasingly sophisticated technologies that allow for far greater exploration of the high seas than was possible a generation ago, such as remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for deep sea exploration and smarter, AI-driven ways of mapping the ocean floor and exploiting data.<\/p>\n

Environmental role of the high seas<\/h2>\n

Until the treaty was created, just 1% of the high seas enjoyed protected status[3]<\/a> (this largely consisted of an area of the North Atlantic).\u00a0 This lack of governance across such an important part of our planet is one of the main reasons why damage to underwater habitats has affected two-thirds of the ocean, according to a report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services[4]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Coral bleaching at the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Photo Credit: \u00a9 Nico Smit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A separate report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA<\/a>) shows the oceans are a third more acidic than they were at the beginning of the industrial era[5]<\/a>.\u00a0 Higher levels of acidity make it harder for marine organisms, like coral, mollusks and some types of plankton to form.\u00a0 This has implications for food supply as well as the longer-term ability of coral to protect coastlines and preserve the wider ecosystem of the deep ocean.\u00a0 Coral reefs are critical for the marine biosystem, so protecting them is vital.<\/p>\n

They account for only 1% of the ocean floor but are home to 25% of all marine life[6]<\/a>.\u00a0 Worryingly, a report from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network[7]<\/a> found that between 2009 and 2018, around 14% of the world\u2019s coral was lost.<\/p>\n

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Nature\u2019s carbon sink<\/h2>\n

The importance of the high seas to our environment can\u2019t be overstated.\u00a0 Ocean ecosystems produce half of the oxygen we breathe and account for almost 95% of the planet\u2019s biosphere.<\/p>\n

Oceans are sometimes referred to as our \u2018carbon sink\u2019, and with good reason \u2013 they absorb one-third of the CO2<\/sub> released into the atmosphere \u2013 more than all the rainforests combined \u2013 and 90% of the heat associated with global warming, while providing us with half the oxygen we breathe[8]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Yet the more acidic the ocean, the less its capacity to absorb CO2<\/sub>, making the seas less effective in mitigating climate change and making our journey towards net-zero that much harder.<\/p>\n

The high seas themselves are home to a vast array of marine wildlife[9]<\/a> and ecosystems, providing migratory routes for some of our most endangered species.\u00a0 An adult blue whale, spanning 100 feet and weighing as much as 200 tons, spends a third of the year in the deep sea.\u00a0 Other marine wildlife that relies on the high seas include the Pacific bluefin tuna, which spends almost half of its life there, the Northern Elephant seal and the Leatherback Sea Turtle, which spends almost 80% of its time in the high seas.<\/p>\n

Despite their vital role as one of our planet\u2019s most important ecosystems, there\u2019s still much we don\u2019t know about the deep sea. \u00a0In fact, scientists estimate that more than 90% of ocean species are still unclassified and around 80% of the ocean floor still remains to be mapped to modern standards[10]<\/a>.\u00a0 Increasingly, they are also understood to host a range of marine genetic resources, which, experts believe, could potentially be used in a range of medical and commercial applications.\u00a0 Already, ocean ecosystems contribute to many medicinal products, including ingredients that help fight cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease[11]<\/a>.\u00a0 The hope is that with more research and understanding this list could be much longer.<\/p>\n

Protecting this abundance and array of life and resources, and exploring it in a sustainable and effective way, is at the heart of the UN High Seas Treaty.<\/p>\n

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Ramping up regulation<\/h2>\n

Among the main provisions of the new treaty are:<\/p>\n