Tesco
Protect the Neglected Half of Our Blue Planet
Article

Protect the Neglected Half of Our Blue Planet

Maintaining momentum is crucial as nations build a treaty to safeguard the high seas, argue Glen Wright, Julien Rochette, Kristina M. Gjerde and Lisa A. Levin.

Kristina M. Gjerde, Lisa A. Levin, Glen Wright and Julien Rochette
Nature, 2018
Read the article

Read or listen offline

  • 0.5×
  • 0.75×
  • 1×
  • 1.25×
  • 1.5×
  • 1.75×
1×

Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Scientific
  • Overview

Recommendation

The high seas are the world’s last conservation frontier. They comprise over 40% of the Earth’s surface, yet have remained largely unprotected. The United Nations is trying to change that. It has initiated a process to develop the first comprehensive, internationally binding treaty to protect the biodiversity and sustainability of the world’s oceans. In the journal Nature, four experts discuss what it will take to make such a treaty effective. The article provides solid background on the ongoing, high-stakes negotiations, which are expected to conclude sometime after 2020.

Take-Aways

  • Negotiations are underway for an international treaty to protect the high seas.
  • A mix of regional and narrowly focused international initiatives have addressed marine conservation issues, yet none of them have gone far enough to ensure sustainable and comprehensive marine protection.
  • Effective marine conservation must be founded on sound scientific research and be subject to international oversight.

About the Authors

Glen Wright, Julien Rochette, Kristina M. Gjerde and Lisa A. Levin are scientists affiliated with the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) in Paris, the International Union for Conservation of Nature in Gland, Switzerland, and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. 

Comment on this summary or Start Discussion