Source: UPI.com
An updated U.N. treaty governing the exploitation of deep-sea bioresources is urgently needed, EU Maritime Affairs Commissioner Maria Damanaki says.
Damanaki, speaking Thursday at a U.N.-sponsored conference in Paris, called for “decisive action” to “move forward” on a revision of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea — which governs the high seas beyond national jurisdictions — to include the protection of marine biodiversity.
Her call came as private companies and scientific teams are stepping up “bioprospecting” in deep-sea areas, seeking sometimes rare marine organisms whose molecular compounds and unique properties can be used in anti-cancer pharmaceuticals, food and other potentially lucrative commercial fields.
Continue reading: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2013/04/15/EUs-Damanaki-calls-for-high-seas-biodiversity-protection-treaty/UPI-96991365998580/