A quarter of the world's oceans will be protected
from fishing boats which drag heavy nets across the sea floor, South
Pacific nations have agreed.
The landmark deal will restrict bottom trawling, which
experts say destroys coral reefs and stirs up clouds of sediment that
suffocate marine life.
Observers and monitoring systems will ensure vessels remain five nautical miles from marine ecosystems at risk.
The South Pacific contains the last pristine deep-sea marine environment.
It extends from the Equator to the Antarctic and from Australia to the western coast of South America.
The high seas encompass all areas not included in the territorial sea or in the internal waters of a country.
'Precautionary measures'
The agreement reached in the coastal town of Renaca in Chile will come into force on 30 September.
It will close to bottom trawling areas where vulnerable
marine ecosystems are known or are likely to exist, unless a prior
assessment is undertaken and highly precautionary protective measures
are implemented.
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