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Negotiators clinch historic deal for high seas biodiversity

The treaty is intended to strengthen marine protections on the high seas, which are the international waters beyond the 200 nautical mile (370 kilometer) jurisdiction of coastal nations.

No universal law protects the marine species and minerals in the high seas that cover about 45% of Earth's surface
No universal law protects the marine species and minerals in the high seas that cover more than two-fifths of Earth's surface (AN/NOAA/Unsplash)

Deep into overtime, exhausted delegates to a conference at the United Nations' headquarters in New York sealed a deal to create a global network of marine protected areas covering 30% of the world's oceans by 2030.

It's a target scientists say is needed to preserve the rich diversity of marine species' health and to mitigate the rising impacts of climate change.

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