During the UN Oceans Conference in France, the Solomon Islands joined the Marshall Islands in signing a moratorium on deep-sea mining.
This development coincides with several countries, including Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands, ratifying a new High Seas Treaty designed to establish protected zones in areas beyond national jurisdiction. To date, 49 countries have ratified the treaty, just eleven short of the 60 required for it to take effect.
