The UN member states have failed agree to a treaty to protect high seas from exploitation. Scientists, environmentalists, and conservation organizations blame states for dragging their feet due to the glacial pace at which talks progressed.
They warned that the longer the negotiations took, more wildlife would be lost to the ocean. They urged ministers and heads to work with the UN high-seas conference president to accelerate a new round of negotiations to close the governance gap on the high seas.
The majority of the ocean lies outside of the exclusive economic zones managed by individual states. Only 1.2% of this 64% is now protected.
One scientist called the treaty the most important ocean protection agreement in the past four decades. The treaty is also known as the BBNJ (biodiversity above national jurisdiction) ocean treatyIts purpose is to create a legal framework that allows for the establishment of vast marine protected areas in order to prevent the loss or industrial fishing and share the genetic resources of sea creatures.
Dr. Essam Mohamed, Eritreas representative at the negotiations and interim Director General of WorldFishThe non-profit research organization ”Non-Profit Research Institute’ said: There is a governance vacuum in high seas. For the ocean and developing countries, this is simply not an option.
Mohammed stated that rapid advances in marine technology could lead to a new era of unregulated marine resources. High risk for the ocean’s health if a deal is not reached quickly enough.
He said that all UN member states must recognize the urgent need to save the oceans and the people who depend upon them to survive.
Professor Alex Rogers, a marine ecoologist and science director at the non-profit organization REV Ocean, said: There is a state here that is dragging its feet and deliberately prolonging this treaty [talks]. We know that the ocean is deteriorating and losing its biodiversity. The ocean is also being affected by climate change. The more we lose biodiversity, the longer these negotiations take.
The fourth round of negotiations concluded on Friday, without any agreement and without a set date for further talks. Rena Lee, the Singaporean president at the BBNJ conference said: I believe with continued commitment and determination, we can build bridges to close the remaining gaps.
It now goes to the United Nations General Assembly to give the green light to another round of talks. Observers believe that an agreement will be reached by the end of the year and have urged political leaders to work together with the UN to make that happen.
Nearly 50 countries formed a high ambition group last month coalitionAt a French summit in Brest, the goal was to get the deal done quickly.
Will McCallum from Greenpeace’s oceans team was present at last weeks talks and stated that if the high-ambition nations are serious about bringing the treaty close, they must work with President Rena Lee to address the painfully slow progress over the past two weeks. McCallum expressed concern at the glacial pace and said negotiators spent hours focusing on non-contentious sentences.
He said that the majority of parties would like to see the agreement completed by 2022. But it will become weaker if it continues for longer.
Some countries, such as Russia and Iceland, called for the exclusion of fisheries from the agreement.
A variety of international bodies and treaties currently manage human activity and resources in areas outside their national jurisdictions, such as whaling, shipping, and fishing. Their mandates vary widely and their jurisdictions often overlap.
Despite over two decades of discussions, there is still not a treaty to protect international waters. This makes it difficult for marine protected areas and other safeguards to be established legally.
