UN member states have failed to agree on a high seas protection treaty, with conservationists blaming a number of countries dragging their feet

The treaty has been described as the most important ocean agreement in over four decades, with scientists warning it is ecosystems that pay the price when negotiation stall.

If finalised, the legal framework will cover a vast marine area, preventing unnecessary loss of wildlife while overseeing industrial fishing and sharing the sea’s resources.

64 per cent of the world’s oceans fall outside the boundaries of the exclusive economic zones controlled by individual nations.

Of this percentage, just 1.2 per cent is currently protected.

This was the fourth round of negotiations since 2018 and it ended late on Friday without agreement.

It’s now up to the United Nations to press go and set a date on the next round of talks.