Protecting high seas off Chile's coast depends on UN vote in New York

FEBRUARY 18, 2023



70 percent of the Salas y Gomez and Nazca ridges fall outside of Chile's exclusive economic zone.


In international waters off the coasts of Chile and Peru, the ocean teems with plant and animal species—some do not exist anywhere else and many are endangered. Urgently seeking to prevent biodiversity loss in these waters, Chile is pushing for a new marine protected area (MPA) to be created, and hoping to seal the deal during an upcoming summit at UN headquarters in New York.

With more than 6,400 kilometers (3,970 miles) of coastline, the South American country already has 42 MPAs covering some 150 million hectares or 43 percent of its exclusive economic zone, according to the environment ministry.

Now it is looking further afield: to international waters surrounding the Salas y Gomez and Nazca ridges—two seamount chains that flourish with biodiversity but are unprotected by law because they fall outside any national jurisdiction.

Those parts of the ridges that fall within Chile's exclusive economic zone or EEZ are already protected, as well as a portion that belongs to northern neighbor Peru.

More:
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-high-seas-chile-coast-vote.html