UN HIGH SEAS TREATY

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Context

• Hailed as a historic achievement, It is a legally binding marine biodiversity agreement.
• Its official name is Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction treaty.
• It was agreed after 15 years of deliberations, discussions and negotiations.
• Adoption of the treaty marks the first and right step in the direction of protecting remote marine ecosystems which are vital to humanity.

Other Details

• For environment protection, this will help in creating a legal framework to regulate international waters.
• International waters represent more than 50% of world’s ocean.
• This treaty will help in preventing a cascading of species extinctions.
• To monitor and enforce treaty’s compliance, there is a provision to set up a Conference of Parties.

Need for protection of oceans

• Only 1 % of high sea is legally protected.
• Ocean acidification is accentuated
• International cooperation was required as high seas are outside nation’s territorial jurisdiction.
• There is an imminent threat of extinction of marine species like Sharks, Rays, whales, abalone species etc. due to their exploitation for seafood and drugs.
• The unchecked activities like increased shipping, mining in high seas can have the potential to disturb sediments, to increase noise pollution
• It poses a threat of destruction of breeding grounds of marine animals.

What will be done?

• From coastal areas now the focus would be on to protect marine life in high seas too.
• There is a provision to create protected marine regions, proposed and voted by signatory countries, in high sea.
• For any proposed activities in international waters, environmental impact studies need to be carried out to make them consistent with the conservation objectives.
• Such activities could be –
  • Fishing
  • Maritime transport
  • Deep-sea mining
  • Geo-engineering programs to fighting global warming
• It also establishes principles for sharing the collected scientific research benefits of "marine genetic resources" (MGR) to fund deficient Developing countries.

Benefits of treaty

• It would have positive implication for overall well-being and survival of humans and healthy marine ecosystems.
• Also by limiting explorations, high sea fishing, deep-sea mining, it will improve the health of Oceans.
• Oceans can produce oxygen consistently and also will absorb CO2 thus limiting climate change.
• Hence on a holistic level this treaty will contribute to protect our planet by protecting 30% of the world's oceans by 2030.

Concerns

• There could be a huge market for discovered marine genetic resources (MGR).
• It may lead to more commercialization of MGR, and a rate race to exploit resources may begin which will threaten the survival of marine ecosystems.
• Also the searches for miracle molecules by various pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies may accentuate.
• To enforce this treaty, ratifications of at least 60 countries are needed. However to make is a universally adopted treaty a lot more ratifications are required which seem a distant dream.

Must read Article:

https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/un-high-seas-treaty

https://www.iasgyan.in/blogs/important-treaties-conventions-and-protocols

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/un-adopts-historic-high-seas-treaty/articleshow/101114466.cms?from=mdr