The rich, icy waters of the Antarctic are among the ONLY
ocean wilderness left on our blue planet that is still relatively unmolested by
human activity. Nearly 10,000 unique and
diverse species inhabit the area, many of which cannot be found anywhere else
on earth, including threatened
and endangered species of fish, whales, and other marine life.
I would like to think that no once could argue a place this
special isn’t worthy of protection. But,
it pains me to say that I would be wrong in that thinking.
Yes, this was a sad week for the ocean.
The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Living
Marine Resources (CCAMLR) spent the past ten days in Hobart, Australia attempting,
for the third time, to pass a measure designating what would be the world’s
largest marine protected areas. Though
the proposal failed at last year’s annual meeting and then again at an
additional special meeting held in Germany, the New Zealand and U.S. delegations
which had championed the proposal were hopeful that this year they would get
the support they desperately sought.
The two proposed sanctuary designations would cover 1.3
million square kilometers of the Ross Sea, and 1.6 million square kilometers
off East Antarctica, much of which would be kept off-limits to fishing.
Together, the two areas would more than double the amount of the world’s ocean
area that has been designated as marine protected areas.1
But as John Hocevar, Oceans Campaign Director for Greenpeace USA, put it:
“Through a steady stream of dull procedural
objections, absurdist claims, and disingenuous overtures, a small group of
fishing nations led by Russia and the Ukraine once again blocked proposals to
protect important habitats for penguins, seals, whales, fish and other ocean
life.”
The
Guardian quoted Andrea Kavanagh, director of the Pew Charitable
Trust’s Southern Ocean sanctuaries project, saying Russia and Ukraine blocked
the measure because they, “wanted to open up more areas for fishing and set a
time limit of 10 years. Given that it has taken that amount of time to draw up
the protected zones, we would’ve spent more time planning this than protecting
it, which is ridiculous.”
These waters have been hit increasingly hard in recent
years by fishermen targeting Patagonian Toothfish — more commonly known as
Chilean sea bass — and more recently krill, tiny shrimp-like creatures which
are a foundation of the food web – and rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.1
These waters have been hit increasingly hard in recent
years by fishermen targeting Patagonian Toothfish — more commonly known as
Chilean sea bass — and more recently krill, tiny shrimp-like creatures which
are a foundation of the food web – and rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.1
The
Guardian quoted Andrea Kavanagh, director of the Pew Charitable
Trust’s Southern Ocean sanctuaries project, saying Russia and Ukraine blocked
the measure because they, “wanted to open up more areas for fishing and set a
time limit of 10 years. Given that it has taken that amount of time to draw up
the protected zones, we would’ve spent more time planning this than protecting
it, which is ridiculous.”
“For those of us who care
about the oceans,” Hocevar stated in his blog for the Antarctic Ocean Alliance,
“the failure of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living
Resources (CCAMLR) to adopt either of the marine protected area proposals is
not only terrible news for the ecosystems of the Ross Sea and East Antarctica, it is
an alarming signal that new thinking is needed in order to save our oceans
around the world.”
CCAMLR was initially formed
to act as a counter to the regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs)
that have always prioritized fishing interests over conservation. With a founding goal of conserving Antarctic
marine life, it is devastating to see CCAMLR fold under industry pressure. And we, as ocean advocates, simply cannot
allow decisions about the stewardship of our oceans to be left in the hands of
fishing industry lobbyists and their government proxies.
“We need action, in the streets and on the
water,” argues Hocevar. “Today it is
clearer than ever that if we hope to save our oceans, we must get out there and
defend them.”
Photo Copyright Phillip Colla www.Oceanlight.com
So, What Can You Do?
Use your voice, your creativity, and your power to help us
ensure that ocean habitats and wildlife are protected from human
interference.
· Write to CCAMLR and express your outrage over their inaction to hold up to
their founding mission of conserving Antarctic marine life.
·
Join the Antarctic Ocean Alliance and sign their petition.
·
Join the Tide Turners! One of the best ways you can support the
campaign is to tell others about it.
Share this blog with others, join the Tide Turners on Facebook, and
follow us on Twitter.
· Read more on this
issue:
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