Context:
A new U.N. treaty to protect the world’s oceans was signed by 67 countries to reverse the damage done to fragile marine environments by overfishing and other human activities.
About High Seas Treaty:
- Officially called – Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) treaty
- A legally binding International agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
- It covers the high seas, beyond exclusive economic zones or national waters of countries.
- Background: UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, adopted in 1982, was the last attempt to extend governance farther into the ocean, as it added regulations to oceans within 12 nautical miles of countries’ coastlines.
- Key goals –
- To establish a network of marine protected areas
- To protect genetic resources
- To ensure equitable sharing of benefits gained from genetic resources.
- Key features –
- Signatories will have to conduct environmental impact assessments before the exploitation of marine resources.
- Marine resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction that are held by indigenous people and local communities can only be accessed with their “free, prior and informed consent or approval and involvement”.
- Members will have to provide the Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM), established as part of the treaty, with details like the objective of the research, geographical area of collection, names of sponsors, etc.
- A special fund will be established as part of the pact which will be fixed by the conference of parties (COP).
- Importance –
- The treaty is significant in achieving the 30×30 target set at UN CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) COP15 under which the countries agreed to protect 30% of oceans by 2030.
A marine protected area (MPA) is defined as a geographically defined marine area that is designated and managed to achieve specific long-term biodiversity conservation objectives and may allow, where appropriate, sustainable use provided it is consistent with the conservation objectives.
Key Details – High Seas
How are they defined?
- High seas are defined by 1958 Geneva Convention on the High Seas as all parts of the ocean that are not included in the exclusive economic zone, the territorial sea, or the internal waters of a country, or in the archipelagic waters of an archipelagic country.
Who is responsible?
- No country is responsible for the management and protection of resources on the high seas.
Why is it important?
- Accounts for more than 60% of the world’s ocean area
- Covers about half of the Earth’s surface
- Home to around 2.7 lakh known species
What are the threats?
- High seas remain as one of the least-protected areas, with only about 1% of it under protection.
- They are affected by phenomena like the El Nino, and are also undergoing acidification.
- Anthropogenic pressures include seabed mining, noise pollution, chemical and oil spills and fires, disposal of untreated waste (including antibiotics), overfishing, introduction of invasive species, and coastal pollution.
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, consider the following statements:
1. A coastal state has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baseline determined in accordance with the convention.
2. Ships of all states, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.
3. The Exclusive Economic zone shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2022 Prelims]
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d)
