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 U.N. 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.
“It’s two-thirds of the ocean, (and) it’s 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 treaty’s preparatory committee, speaking at a media briefing.
The treaty reached the threshold of 60 national ratifications on September 19 last year, meaning that it would go formally into operation within 120 days. The number of ratifications has since risen to more than 80, with China, Brazil and Japan adding their names to the list.
Others, including Britain and Australia, are expected to follow soon. The United States signed the treaty during the previous administration but has not yet ratified it.
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