Call for Antarctic protection despite failure of international talks
WWF calls for protection of Antarctic waters despite failure of international talks
Hobart, Australia:
The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) closed in Hobart today, with the Russian and Chinese governments saying ‘no’ to Marine Protected Areas of 1.32 million km2 in the Ross Sea and 1.2 million km2 in East Antarctic waters – in total more than three times the size of the North Sea.
Rod Downie, WWF’s Polar Programme Manager, who attended the negotiations, said WWF would continue to call for the protection of the Southern Ocean despite the frustrations and delay.
“Conservation is at the heart of this convention, but sadly the judgement of a small number of countries here is being clouded by their fishing interests and economic gain.
“Getting all 24 member nations and the EU to prioritise the conservation of Antarctica’s wild ocean is challenging. But giving up is not an option.
‘Antarctica is our largest remaining wilderness and home to thousands of unique and important species including penguins, whales, seals, albatross and commercially fished krill and toothfish.’
“We hope that all Members including Russia and China will continue to work in the spirit of cooperation that defines the Antarctic Treaty system to comprehensively protect some of the world’s most pristine marine environments.”
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