Nations ratify the world's first treaty to protect international waters

By ANNIKA HAMMERSCHLAG, Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — The first treaty to protect marine diversity in international waters will come into force early next year after Morocco became the 60th nation to ratify the agreement Friday.

The high seas treaty is the first legal framework aimed at protecting marine biodiversity in international waters, those that lie beyond the jurisdiction of any single country. International waters account for nearly two-thirds of the ocean and nearly half of Earth’s surface and are vulnerable to threats including overfishing , climate change and deep-sea mining .

“The high seas are the world’s largest crime scene — they’re unmanaged, unenforced, and a regulatory legal structure is absolutely necessary,” said Johan Bergenas, senior vice president of ocea