The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is an international agreement that was adopted in 1982 and went into force in 1994. UNCLOS sets out the legal framework for activities in the world's oceans and seas, including issues related to navigational rights, territorial waters, the exploitation of natural resources, the protection of marine environments, and the settlement of disputes. But only 1.2% of these waters are protected and all the marine life living outside these areas has been at risk from climate change, overfishing and shipping traffic.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) nearly 10% of the marine species were found to be at risk of extinction. "If you imagine a big, high-definition, widescreen TV, and if only like three or four of the pixels on that giant screen are working, that's our knowledge of the deep ocean. So we've recorded about 230,000 species in the ocean, but it's estimated that there are over two million." said Dr Robert Blasiak, ocean researcher at Stockholm University.

The new High Seas Treaty aims to help place 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030, to safeguard marine species and the marine environment.

Please read here the BBC article.