A landmark global treaty to safeguard biodiversity in the high seas came into effect on Saturday, providing countries with a legally binding framework to tackle threats such as overfishing and meet a target to protect 30 of the ocean environment by 2030.
The UN treaty, also known as Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction BBNJ, was finalised in March 2023 after 15 years of negotiations and will allow the creation of a global network of marine protected areas in vast and previously unregulated ocean ecosystems lying in international waters.
Its two-thirds of the ocean, and its half the surface of the planet that for the first time will have a comprehensive legal regime, said Adam McCarthy, first assistant secretary at the Australian foreign ministry and a co-chair of the treatys preparatory committee, speaking at a media briefing.
