Colombia's outgoing president, Iván Duque, announced that the country became the first in the Western Hemisphere to declare 30 percent of its maritime territory a protected area, where fishing and oil exploration is now banned.

Ocean degradation caused by overfishing, coral reef bleaching, pollution and other factors, along with rising sea levels and temperatures caused by climate change, increase the likelihood of death, flooding and loss of food sources.

It also destroys marine biodiversity. Oceans produce half of all the world's oxygen and absorb 31 percent of man-made carbon dioxide.

Mr Duque made the announcement during the UN Ocean Conference in Portugal.