Scientists harbour grave concerns about the future of the high seas – areas of ocean outside national waters that cover more than two-fifths of the surface of the Earth.
They are home to an array of species, rivalling the variety found in coastal areas and on land, but are at risk from fishing, deep seabed mining, climate change and plastic pollution.
According to a new report by academics at York and Oxford universities, key to any hope of securing their future could be a new global treaty that paves the way for the protection of waters that do not lie within any borders.
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Negotiations are ongoing at the United Nations (UN) with a view to introducing such an agreement, which would seek to guarantee the safety of 230 million square kilometres of ocean currently without protection.
The report, compiled in collaboration with Greenpeace, breaks down the global oceans into 100 kilometre squared units and maps the distribution of wildlife and habitats, such as sharks, whales and underwater mountains.
It also includes suggestions for how best to protect the waters while minimising human activity.
Professor Callum Roberts, marine conservation biologist at the University of York, said: “The speed at which the high seas have been depleted of some of their most spectacular and iconic wildlife has taken the world by surprise.
“Extraordinary losses of seabirds, turtles, sharks and marine mammals reveal a broken governance system that governments at the UN must urgently fix.
“This report shows how protected areas could be rolled out across international waters to create a net of protection that will help save species from extinction and help them survive in our fast-changing world.”
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Greenpeace and the UK government have both welcomed the report, which features models designed to show how unobtrusive protection for the high seas would be.
Regarding concerns over the impact on fishing industries, the report cites existing high seas marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean and North Atlantic, and vulnerable areas closed to fishing by regional management organisations.
Designs put forward in the report only displaced around 20% or 30% of existing fishing activity, showing that networks which cover the full range of wildlife and habitats can be created with limited economic impact.
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Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “From climate change to over-fishing, the world’s oceans are facing an unprecedented set of challenges.
“It is now more important than ever to take action and ensure our seas are healthy, abundant and resilient.
“The UK is already on course to protect over half of its waters, and I join Greenpeace in calling for the UK and other countries to work together towards a UN high seas treaty that would pave the way to protect at least 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030.”
:: Sky’s Ocean Rescue campaign encourages people to reduce their single-use plastics. You can find out more about the campaign and how to get involved at www.skyoceanrescue.com.
