Fisheries, research, biodiversity:what does the Ocean Protection Treaty signed at the UN provide?

The agreement concluded overnight by the world states brings the "30x30" goal closer:protect 30% of the oceans by 2030

"The ship has reached the shore."With these words the ambassador Rena Lee, president of the International Conference on Biodiversity, has (finally) announced to the delegates of the United Nations member states the agreement reached on protect the oceans.It took 38 hours of grueling negotiations and a final round of tense discussions that kept people awake 24 hours a day – according to the Guardian – the delegates of the headquarters ofUN in New York yesterday evening, March 4, before reaching an agreement to establish new rules aimed at protecting the sea and biodiversity.«The ocean is food, energy, life.He has given us so much to humanity:It's time to give back.We did it!", the president of the European Commission wrote on Twitter Ursula von der Leyen, welcoming "welcoming" the agreement reached.The text will now undergo editorial review and translations before being adopted in a subsequent session.

What is the High Seas?

The term "high seas" refers to all that area (of sea) that lies beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) national – beyond 200 nautical miles from the coast, if the States have declared the EEZ – and occupies approximately two thirds of the ocean.This entire area is part of the so-called international waters, therefore outside national jurisdictions, in which all states have the right to navigate, research or fish.The so-called High Seas play a leading role in supporting fishing activities, providing habitat for species crucial to the health of the planet and in mitigate the impact of the climate crisis.However, until now no government has taken responsibility for the protection and sustainable management of the resources of this vast area, which has made the High Seas a vulnerable area:some of the most important ecosystems on the planet, in fact, are at risk, with consequent loss of biodiversity and habitat.According to estimates, between 10% and the 15% of marine species is already at risk of extinction.

What the agreement provides

The (global) Oceans Treaty gives a concrete possibility to the objective 30×30, that is, to protect the 30% of the oceans within 2030, decided last December by the countries that participated in the United Nations conference on biodiversity.Thanks to the agreement it will also be possible to establish Marine Protected Areas on the high seas.The delegates also agreed on the establishment of a conference of the parties (Cop) on the topic of ocean preservation which will meet periodically and will allow member states - writes the British newspaper - to be constantly updated on each other's decisions and actions relating to ocean governance and biodiversity.A historic yet urgent objective.Ecosystems, in fact, produce half of the oxygen we breathe, represent 95% of the planet's biosphere and, by absorbing carbon dioxide, they are an indispensable ally in the fight against climate change.However, until now, fragmented and loosely enforced rules governing the High Seas have made this area more susceptible to exploitation than national waters.

Second Greenpeace, who defined the agreement reached at the UN as a "monumental victory", the text - the result of intense negotiations - nevertheless presents some critical points and now it is up to the governments to ratify the treaty as soon as possible and therefore put it into practice quickly, effective and fair, we read in the note.«This is a historic moment for the protection of nature and the oceans.And it is also a signal that in an increasingly divided world, the protection of nature and people can triumph over geopolitical calculations", declares Laura Meller of Greenpeace.«We congratulate all countries for having reached a compromise by putting aside their different positions and producing a treaty that will allow us to protect the sea, increase our resilience to climate change and protect the lives and well-being of billions of people,” he adds.