We need a global conservation agreement for the high seas

The high seas cover about 50% of Earth’s surface and host a major share of the world’s biodiversity, but remain largely ungoverned. With increasing threats to open ocean ecosystems, now more than ever we need a high seas conservation agreement. Recently the first of three meetings was held in New York to assess the scope, parameters and feasibility of an international conservation agreement for the high seas and the sustainable use of its biodiversity. States meeting at the UN will decide by September 2015 whether to have such an agreement. So why are the high seas important for conservation?