The Government can protect the Ross Sea

by Gareth Hughes

What has Richard Branson, a National Geographic oceanographer and Edward Norton got in common? They all want to see greater Antarctic marine protected areas included in the Ross Sea.

Today I was privileged to attend the launch of the Antarctic Ocean Alliance’s first report, “Antarctic Ocean Legacy: A Marine Reserve for the Ross Sea,” and a campaign video.

This is an amazing, pristine environment that deserves protection. At a time when major fish stocks are declining or collapsing and fishers have to go further and further from land to land a catch it’s vital we preserve and protect what’s perhaps the last pristine ecosystem left.

They say: “The report outlines a proposal and rationale for a fully protected marine reserve in the Ross Sea, to become the keystone of the world’s largest network of marine protected areas and no-take marine reserves in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. Antarctic waters make up almost 10% of the world’s seas and are some of the most intact left on earth. Home to almost 10,000 unique and diverse species such as penguins, seals and whales, these waters are now at risk from the impacts of commercial fishing and climate change. In addition to the Ross Sea region outlined, the Alliance is calling for 19 critical habitats in Antarctica’s Southern Ocean to be protected and will release a report in the coming months analysing all of these critical habitats.”

New Zealand has an important role. As one of the Antarctic Treaty signatory nations, our vote is key. As the nation with historical connections and that led the charge and opened the toothfish fishery in 1996 and now the major fisher nation in the Ross Sea our responsibility is great. Join the campaign, and let the Government know that while it was pretty impressive what they did for Happy Feet, the penguin, they could also do a lot too for the rest of his whānau.