UN treaty would protect high seas from over exploitation

BBC: The first significant steps towards legally protecting the high seas are to take place at the UN in New York.
These waters, which cover 46% of the planet’s surface, are under threat from deep-sea mining, over-fishing and the patenting of marine genetic resources.Over the next two years, government representatives aim to hammer out a binding agreement to protect them against over-exploitation.But several nations, including the US, are lukewarm towards the proposals.
Experts believe that the oceans of the world are vital for a number of reasons. Scientists say they capture around 90% of the extra heat and around 26% of the excess carbon dioxide created by humans through the burning of fossil fuels and other activities.”The half of our planet which is high seas is protecting terrestrial life from the worst impacts of climate change,” said Prof Alex Rogers from Oxford University, UK, who has provided evidence to inform the UN treaty process getting under way on Tuesday.”Yet we do too little to safeguard that or to protect the life within the ocean which is intrinsic to our collective survival. Protecting the biodiversity of the high seas by bringing good governance and law to the whole ocean is the single most important thing we can do to turn the tide for the blue heart of our planet.”
The high seas are defined as the oceans that lie beyond exclusive economic zones. These zones are usually within 370km (200 nautical miles) of a country’s coastline.
These waters cover one and a half times the total land area of the planet and are home to some of the rarest and most charismatic species – but all countries have the right to navigate, fly over, carry our scientific research and fish on the high seas without restriction.