A new treaty to govern international waters is “tantalisingly close” after countries – including Britain – promised to sign it into law.
The British government said this week that it will introduce legislation by the end of the year to ratify the UN High Seas Treaty, following a recent surge in support from other countries to do the same.
At present, remote waters, which make up nearly two-thirds of the world’s oceans, are largely lawless and are vulnerable to over-fishing, climate change, the threat of deep-sea mining and geo-engineering.
Prince William on Sunday said protecting the planet’s oceans was a challenge “like none we have faced before” after teaming up with Sir David Attenborough to discuss the plight of the vital resource.
The High Seas Treaty was agreed by 193 countries two years ago, but cannot come into force unless 60 countries ratify it.
This week at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, countries ratifying it passed 50, bringing what could be the first legally binding agreement on protecting international waters a step closer.
“The entry into force is within our sight,” UN secretary general Antonio Guterres told reporters on Tuesday. “We do not have a moment to lose.”
He called the ocean the “lifeblood of our planet”, which “feeds the soul”.
“It produces half of the oxygen we breathe, nourishes billions of people, supports hundreds of millions of jobs, and underpins global trade.”
Campaigners have called the high seas the “wild west” of the ocean as they are mostly ungoverned,…
