Historic treaty reached to protect marine life on high seas

For the first time, United Nations members have agreed on a unified treaty to protect biodiversity in the high seas — representing a turning point for vast stretches of the planet where conservation has previously been hampered by a confusing patchwork of laws. 

The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea came into force in 1994, before marine biodiversity was a well-established concept. The treaty agreement concluded two weeks of talks in New York.

The last international agreement on ocean protection was signed 40 years ago in 1982 — the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, according to BBC News.