UN High Seas Treaty

Context: 

Recently, the world’s first international treaty to protect the high seas was adopted at the United Nations. 

• The treaty, officially known as the treaty on “Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction” or BBNJ.

Image Source: NOAA Ocean Exploration

About the High Seas:

• According to the 1958 Geneva Convention, the high seas are the parts of the ocean beyond a country’s Exclusive Economic Zone. 
  • They lie beyond the jurisdiction of any one country.
• It extends up to 200 nautical miles from the coast, and no country is responsible for managing or protecting its resources.
• The high seas comprise 64 percent of the ocean surface, and about 43 per cent of the Earth. 

Key Features of  Treaty:

• Environmental Impact Assessments: It introduces requirements to carry out environmental impact studies for proposed activities to be carried out in international waters.
• Benefit Sharing Guidelines: The treaty also establishes principles for sharing the benefits of “marine genetic resources” (MGR) collected by scientific research in international waters.
• Negotiated under UNCLOS: The treaty was negotiated under UNCLOS of 1982 which governs the rights of countries regarding marine resources. 
• Biodiversity Conservation: It recognizes the need for biodiversity conservation
  • The ‘High Seas Treaty’ proposes to protect 30% of the world’s oceans and increase funding for marine conservation

Importance of High Seas:

• Importance and Extent of the High Seas: The high seas account for more than 60% of the world’s ocean area and cover about half of the Earth’s surface, which makes them a hub of marine life. 
• Biodiversity of the High Seas: They are home to around 2.7 lakh known species, many of which are yet to be discovered. 
• Regulate Climate: The high seas regulate the climate by playing a fundamental role in planetary stability by mitigating the effects of climate change through its absorption of carbon and by storing solar radiation and distributing heat around the globe.
• Anthropogenic Pressures on the High Seas: It include seabed mining, noise pollution, chemical spills and fires, disposal of untreated waste (including antibiotics), overfishing, introduction of invasive species, and coastal pollution. 

News Source: Hindustan Times

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