How the UN high seas treaty aims to protect the world’s oceans

Nearly 200 countries agreed to a legally binding protocol that has been two decades in the making

Fish in Maldives
Ocean ecosystems generate half of the oxygen we breathe and comprise 95% of the planet’s biosphere

Covering nearly half of the Earth’s surface, the so-called high seas – areas of ocean more than 200 nautical miles from all coasts – are home to up to ten million species and are a vital resource.

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