UK to ratify UN High Seas Treaty to stop oceans becoming the 'wild west'

A caller pact to govern planetary waters is "tantalisingly close" aft countries - including Britain - promised to motion it into law.

The British authorities said this week that it volition present authorities by the extremity of the twelvemonth to ratify the UN High Seas Treaty, pursuing a caller surge successful enactment from different countries to bash the same.

At present, distant waters, which marque up astir two-thirds of the world's oceans, are mostly lawless and are susceptible to over-fishing, climate change, the menace of deep-sea mining and geo-engineering.

Prince William connected Sunday said protecting the planet's oceans was a situation "like nary we person faced before" aft teaming up with Sir David Attenborough to discuss the plight of the captious resource.

The High Seas Treaty was agreed by 193 countries 2 years ago, but cannot travel into unit unless 60 countries ratify it.

This week astatine the UN Ocean Conference successful Nice, France, countries ratifying it passed 50, bringing what could beryllium the archetypal legally binding statement connected protecting planetary waters a measurement closer.

"The introduction into unit is wrong our sight," UN caput wide Antonio Guterres told reporters connected Tuesday. "We bash not person a infinitesimal to lose."

He called the water the "lifeblood of our planet", which "feeds the soul".

"It produces fractional of the oxygen we breathe, nourishes billions of people, supports hundreds of millions of jobs, and underpins planetary trade."

Campaigners person called the precocious seas the "wild west" of the water arsenic they are mostly ungoverned, and said a pact could present extortion astatine oversea "on a standard we've ne'er seen before".

Chris Thorne, Greenpeace UK oceans campaigner, said: "We're tantalisingly adjacent to a immense infinitesimal for the planet."

Governments that ratify the pact could beryllium held accountable nether their ain jurisdictions and astatine an oceans tribunal, but it would beryllium hard to unit different countries to travel the rules, adjacent if they agreed to the treaty.

The thrust comes arsenic President Donald Trump pulls the United States and its wealth retired of biology projects, and arsenic immoderate European governments weaken greenish argumentation and overseas assistance commitments.

The pact besides sets retired however countries would stock technology, recently discovered resources and funding.

It would mean decisions would person to beryllium made collectively done negotiations, alternatively than by idiosyncratic countries going it alone.

The UK authorities has antecedently been criticised by environmentalists for dragging its heels connected ratification.

During the conference, which finishes connected Friday, the UK authorities besides projected to widen a prohibition connected bottommost trawling to much marine protected areas successful English waters.