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UN High Seas Treaty adopted to protect world's oceans
Image source, Getty Images
An international agreement that for the first time seeks to protect oceans, animals and biodiversity in international waters, has taken a step closer to becoming a reality.
The United Nations' (UN) High Seas treaty was adopted on Monday and aims to protect and conserve the international waters covering more than 60% of the planet.
Countries can claim ownership of waters up to 12 nautical miles from their coastline, and can claim sole rights to fish and mine in areas up to 200 nautical miles from their shores, but this treaty would cover the international waters, or high seas, not officially owned by anyone.
It has taken at least 15 years of talks to reach this stage and from September the UN's 193 member states will have two years' to officially sign up to the treaty.
The treaty requires a minimum of 60 countries to bring it into effect.
Our oceans and marine animals are under threat from factors like climate change, too much fishing, mining and traffic from big ships.
If the treaty comes into effect it means 30% of the high seas - the parts of the ocean not owned by any single country - would be protected by the year 2030, hopefully giving the oceans a "fighting chance".
The aim fits in with the goal the UN member states set in December to place 30% of the world's land and seas under environmental protection by 2030.
Extinction risk
Image source, Gerard Soury/Getty
About 10% of marine life is at risk of extinction, according to experts at the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The high seas treaty to protect parts of the ocean could help turn the tide on that.
Dr Ngozi Oguguah, chief research officer at the Nigerian Institute For Oceanography and Marine Research says: "The two biggest causes [of extinction] are overfishing and pollution.
"If we have marine protected sanctuaries most of the marine resources will have the time to recover."
Why has it taken so long to agree?
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Simply put, there are a lot of countries involved and there is a lot at stake.
The last international agreement on the ocean, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, was signed 40 years ago in 1982.
That agreement established an area called the high seas - international waters where all countries have a right to fish, ship and carry out research.
This agreement builds on that by aiming to now protect a portion of the high seas.
Countries have long disagreed about their rights over those waters.
There's also concern with the new treaty about how much money countries will spend on protection.
Image source, Empics
Some environmental groups, including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), welcomed the latest treaty but said it would only work if enough countries stuck to it, and made it a law in their own countries.
"This is a landmark moment for the ocean" the WWF said, "but this is not a finish line" it added.
"For the treaty's good intentions to deliver results on the water, we've got to keep the pressure up."