After 19 years of negotiations, a historic agreement has been reached to protect the world's oceans and ensure all the world's people can benefit from the high seas while also protecting marine life.

Wording on the High Seas Treaty agreement was reached Saturday at the United Nations in New York City after a marathon 38 hours of talks. The negotiations began in 2004.

The landmark treaty, which has not yet been ratified, aims to put 30% of the world's ocean area into protected areas to preserve marine life and allow it to recuperate. More than 8% of marine species are now on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List, meaning they're threatened or endangered.

That includes some species of whales, dolphins, manatees, tuna, basking sharks and turtles.

Here's what to know about the new High Seas Treaty:

What is the new treaty for the world's oceans?

An agreement on the High Seas Treaty, which has been under discussion since 2004, was reached on Saturday at U.N. headquarters in New York.

Costal nations' legal authority extends to 200 nautical miles off their shores, an area known as the "exclusive economic zone." The treaty would not interfere in those areas but instead would cover the two-thirds of Earth's open oceans considered international waters.

Negotiations had taken decades in part because of disagreements over funding, fishing and mineral rights.

The treaty, if ratified, would:

• Put 30% of the world's seas into Marine Protected Areas.


• Direct more money into marine conservation.


• Create new rules for seafloor mining.

What will the High Seas treaty replace?

The previous U.N. ocean treaty – the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea – was signed in 1982. It established "the high seas," international waters that are open to fishing, shipping and research by all nations.

It also protected about 1.2% of that area to provide refuges for marine life.

Since then, overfishing, climate change, and dredging and ocean mining for minerals have all damaged the health of the world's oceans. In 1980, the world's population was 4.4 billion. Today it's 8 billion.

What would the new protected areas in the ocean mean?

The agreement organizes and in some cases limits what can be done in the protected areas, which have not yet been mapped or established. That would include:

• Fishing limits.


• Setting routes for fishing lanes.


• Regulation and oversight of deep-sea mining.

When would the treaty take effect?

The treaty language was hammered out by the United Nations' 193 member states. The process of getting the treaty formally adopted is expected to take years. The United States especially has historically been slow to approve environmental treaties.

Why is it important to protect the world's oceans?

The world's oceans are crucial to all life on Earth. They cover 70% of the planet's surface, provide half our oxygen, contain 95% of global wildlife and soak up carbon dioxide.

Because no one controls or owns the high seas, it has been "first come, first served" for their riches. Oceans provide 17% of the production of global animal protein and hold 97% of all Earth's water. Almost 90% of global trade is conducted on sea routes.

The treaty language agreement is a victory "for global efforts to counter the destructive trends facing ocean health, now and for generations to come,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said.