13 Jul 2019

On June 5, Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE) brought together over a hundred delegates to discuss how to secure an ambitious global deal to protect nature in the high seas. Held in the historic Navy Board Rooms in Somerset House, the event fell between the second and third BBNJ (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction) negotiations at the […]

07 Jul 2019

IUCN Briefing on Deep Sea Mining https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/deep-sea-mining The National Oceanography Centre has produced a report outlining the impacts of deep sea mining Eco-Magazine    ‘A new study shows that the impacts of seabed mining on deep-sea ecosystems can persist for decades. Scientists at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) revisited a site exposed to simulated deep-sea mining […]

09 Apr 2019

Two possible networks of MPAs were presented to delegates negotiating the first every high seas conservation treaty at the UN last week. The maps, generated using biological and oceanographic data and the Marxan programme, showed potential reserves covering 30% or 50% of the high seas. The options presented were those the researchers thought offered the […]

08 Oct 2018

The Arctic region is warming at almost three times the global average rate, causing a change in the size and distribution of fish stocks. As a result, the Arctic high seas may become more attractive for commercial fisheries in the medium to long term. However, until now, most of the Arctic high seas were not […]

10 Sep 2018

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45397674   UN treaty High Seas BBC IPS News Agency – UNITED NATIONS, Sep 7 2018 (IPS) – After several years of preliminary discussions, the United Nations has begun its first round of inter-governmental negotiations to draft the world’s first legally binding treaty to protect and regulate the “high seas”—which, by definition, extend beyond 200 nautical miles […]

07 Aug 2018

Guardian Robin McKie ‘Wildlife in most of the lawless high seas faces an existential threat from fishing, shipping and the military. Next month, a landmark UN conference could finally bring hope. “Outside national waters, in the high seas, it is essentially a no man’s land when it comes to protecting sensitive environments and their inhabitants,” […]

29 Dec 2017

Guardian The world’s oceans are set for a long overdue boost in the coming days as the United Nations votes for the first time on a planned treaty to protect and regulate the high seas. The waters outside national maritime boundaries – which cover half of the planet’s surface – are currently a free-for-all that has led […]

19 Sep 2017

The 4th International Marine Protected Areas Congress recently took place in Chile IMPAC4 – click here for the website. Two main items a Blog from the MMOs Craig McGarvey on UK’s approach to the Blue Belt & and a video on the High Seas issues from James Nikitine. UK Blue Belt – global ambitions for marine […]