Currently, only 1.2% of the sea surface is protected. 222311645/Sasint – stock.adobe.com
ANALYSIS – The treaty called Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction should make it possible to develop rules to protect biodiversity beyond the territorial waters of countries.
After fifteen years of negotiations, a historic agreement on the protection of the high seas was signed overnight from Saturday to Sunday at the United Nations headquarters. If there are still obstacles to overcome, and not the least, “the boat has reached the shore! », welcomed the Singaporean Rena Lee, in charge of these international negotiations, after a final marathon of two weeks of discussions. The treaty called “BBNJ” (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction) should make it possible to develop rules to protect biodiversity beyond the territorial waters of countries. The agreement sets a course: to create marine protected areas “for 60% of the oceans, i.e. more than 40% of the Earth’s surface”, we welcome the French delegation. Currently, only 1.2% of the sea surface is protected. The stakes are considerable: it is in this zone, the high seas, that the ships circulate which provide 90% of the traffic of goods and where offshore fishing (also called…
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