A milestone in environmental protection was reached on Thursday evening: a new UN treaty for the protection of the world’s oceans was signed by 67 countries – including Austria – at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
“Even though we have no coast, we share responsibility for the seas. The blue world and its inhabitants are exposed to increasing threats,” says Olivia Herzog, biodiversity expert at Greenpeace in Austria.
“In addition to overfishing, pollution and global warming, new threats such as deep-sea mining are just around the corner. Secretary of State Schallenberg must now continue implementation and ensure that major marine protected areas are designated by 2025.”
Greenpeace welcomes the fact that the historic agreement on the protection of the high seas was supported by 67 countries at the UN General Assembly. More than 5.5 million people supported a corresponding petition, with 475,000 votes coming from Austria.
Currently, only about one percent of the high seas is protected by international agreements; 30 percent is the target by 2030. At the same time, measurable fishing activity on the high seas increased by 8.5 percent between 2018 and 2022 to almost 8.5 million hours.
Inventories are shrinking dramatically
Fishing methods such as longlines have a devastating impact on marine life because they produce extremely large amounts of bycatch. The Pacific leatherback turtle, Pacific bluefin tuna and whitetip shark have lost more than 90 percent of their populations in less than thirty years.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
