UN member states agree to set a protected status for 30% of oceans and seas

The agreement on the International Water Treaty was reached after a 36-hour marathon of negotiations at the UN headquarters in New York.

The treaty covers international waters in which all countries have the right to navigate, fish and conduct research. Currently, only 1.2% of these waters are protected.

The damage caused to ocean and marine ecosystems by climate change, overfishing and shipping has increased dramatically in recent decades.

Negotiations on the International Waters Treaty dragged on for ten years due to disagreements over funding and fishing rights.

The new agreement will set limits on catch volumes, shipping routes and mineral exploration more than 200 meters below sea level.

The agreement on the treaty was welcomed by the European Union Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginia Sinkevičs, calling it a “historic moment for our ocean”.

“We are taking a decisive step forward to protect marine inhabitants and biodiversity, which is vital for us and future generations,” emphasized Sinkevich.

However, it could be several years before the International Water Treaty is signed and ratified.

The previous agreement of this scale on the protection of oceans and seas – the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea – was signed in 1982.