Ministers pledge UK action to ratify high seas treaty by end of year

Move comes after efforts at UN ocean summit to establish marine protected areas in international waters

Britain will take action to ratify the high seas treaty by the end of this year, a landmark agreement that will protect marine life in some of the oceans' most remote waters, ministers have announced.

The move follows a surge in support and ratifications for the treaty at the UN oceans conference in Nice, France. Emmanuel Macron, the French president and co-host of the conference, told delegates on Monday that enough countries had either ratified or formally committed to ratifying the agreement and therefore it could come into force as early as January 2026.