The BBC reports on the passing of the High Seas Treaty by the United Nations last week. The agreement aims to add 30% of the planet’s high seas into marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2030. The new MPAs will only allow activities within these areas but only “provided they are consistent with the conservation objectives.”
The BBC reports that the United Nations has failed in its attempts to pass a global ocean protection treaty for the fifth time. The proposed plan was to regulate commercial activity on the high seas, the area outside of national controls. The goal was to designate 30% of the world’s oceans as protected areas, but countries failed to reach an agreement about fishing rights and funding and support for developing countries.
The 2020 UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition is now calling for entries. Offering 10 categories, each participant must agree to follow the UN’s Charter for Participants. Entries are open now and close on April 30, 2020, at 12 midnight Eastern Standard Time (EST).
On 24 December, 140 member states of the United Nations voted to launch a 2 year process aiming to creating an international treaty to protect the high seas. This would extend protections to the oceans beyond national maritime boundaries. International waters account for over half the planet’s surface. The process will convene a two year intergovernmental conference to establish full treaty negotiations.
The United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution urging member states to do more to tackle the illicit trafficking of wildlife, and provides a international legal framework to allow for the “prevention, investigation and prosecution of offences” and for “treating certain wildlife offences as a serious crimes.”
Wetpixel sister site, DivePhotoGuide, in conjunction with Swiss watch company Blancpain, has created a display of underwater imagery in the United Nations Visitor Center in New York City. The exhibit highlights World Oceans Day and includes images captured many noted photographers, and features ocean ecosystems from around the globe.