Barbados getting help in protecting the high seas

Barbados will now have international help in dealing with marine issues in waters beyond its national jurisdiction.

That is one of the benefits coming out of the first international treaty to protect the high seas, which was agreed upon on Sunday by the United Nations.

The head of the Barbados delegation, Juliette Babb-Riley, who is also the mission head in Ghana, and the CARICOM Co-Leader on this treaty process, says after years of negotiations, nearly 200 countries agreed to the treaty to protect marine life in international waters.

The new oceans treaty aims to fill the gaps by providing the legal force to create and manage marine protected areas in international waters.

Ms Babb-Riley was a guest on CBC TV 8’s Morning Report.

She says the next step after this historic agreement will be the adoption and ratification of the treaty by the respective countries.

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