UN Ocean Treaty talks look set to fail, campaigners warn

‘Billions of people rely on healthy oceans, and world leaders have failed all of them’

Talks over a critical treaty to protect the global ocean are on the brink of failure, campaigners have warned.

The ocean, which covers 70 per cent of the planet and sustains life on Earth, is under a multi-pronged attack from the climate crisis, environmental pollution and human exploitation. There are currently no legal protections for the “high seas” – the two-thirds of international waters not bound to any one country, and open to shipping, fishing and research for all.

Countries are nearing the end of an ocean summit at the United Nations in New York where they have been trying to hash out an Ocean Treaty.

It is hoped that an international agreement would establish “marine protected areas” to allow biodiversity to flourish, and require environmental assessments for heavy industry such as deep-sea mining, cementing a promise made by dozens of countries to protect 30 per cent of oceans by 2030.

But the talks appeared set to fail “because of the greed of countries in the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) and others like Canada and the United States”, Greenpeace said on Thursday. The coalition includes the European Union and its 27 member states.

Rich countries are reportedly fixated on “hypothetical future profits” from marine genetics resources – for example, material that comes from the seabed that could create a vaccine. Wealthier nations do not want profits from discoveries in the global ocean to be shared by all.

Dr Laura Meller, a Greenpeace oceans campaigner, told The Independent that countries’ high-level ministers urgently need to become involved as talks enter the final hours, in order to get a robust treaty signed.

“We are sad and angry. Billions of people rely on healthy oceans, and world leaders have failed all of them. It now looks like protecting 30 per cent of the world’s oceans will be impossible. Scientists say this is the absolute minimum necessary to protect the oceans, and failure at these talks will jeopardise the livelihoods and food security of billions. We’re beyond disappointed,” she said, in a statement.