Antarctic Ocean - Join the watch!

Surprisingly I found myself watching a few episodes of Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch last week. The show documents the lives of several teams of fishermen during King crab seasons in the Bering Sea Alaska. The stories are of ordinary men facing heroic levels of wind, water and hardship, a lifestyle perhaps influenced by family and local opportunity. A job that earns them a living to ensure they are able to provide for their families.

It’s a reminder that when tackling issues of marine conservation, these men and women involved in the fight to prevent fishing in areas of significance are not the evil representation that is often portrayed. I mention this initially to try and create some perspective to what is currently happening on the opposite end of the world.   

Recent news in efforts for the protection of marine areas in Antarctica involves the Antarctic Ocean Alliance. In 2011, the Antarctic Ocean Alliance which includes environmental and conservation organizations like Greenpeace, WWF, and are supported by celebrities such as Edward Norton and American oceanographer Sylvia Earle, proposed the creation of a network of marine protected areas and no-take marine reserves in 19 specific areas in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the body that regulates this marine environment, has set a target date of 2012 for establishing the initial areas in a network of Antarctic marine protected areas.

-Map of proposed MPA's, source AOA-

One of the critical areas that the Antarctic Ocean Alliance seeks protection for is the Ross Sea region, including the Balleny Islands, the Pacific seamounts and the Ross Sea embayment. This is the first in a series of “Antarctic Ocean Legacy” proposals from the Alliance. For the Ross Sea region, the proposal is to establish a fully protected marine reserve of approximately 3.6 million square kilometres. The proposal is justified based on the work of scientists, governments and non-government organisations (NGOs) over the past five years highlighting the environmental importance of the region. Over 500 scientists worldwide have supported the call "to protect vital Ross Sea habitats including the whole continental slope and shelf because of their environmental and scientific significance.

The Ross Sea supports some of the most well-known Antarctic Species which include:

38% of the world population of Adélie penguins

26% of the world population of emperor penguins

30% or more of the world population of Antarctic petrels

6% of the world population of Antarctic minke whales

45% of the Southern Paci"c population of Weddell seals

50% of the world’s Ross Sea killer whales (Type C)

-Emperor Penguins, National Geographic-

Many fisheries scientists argue that such reserves offer the best hope for restoring ecosystems stressed by overfishing, pollution and global warming. The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, is planning to discuss proposals from the United States and New Zealand for the creation of some reserves when it meets in late October in Hobart, Tasmania. (Source, Antarctic Ocean Alliance)

To help support the efforts of the proposals and learn more about the importance of these marine protected areas please visit http://antarcticocean.org/whats-at-stake.php , watch the video and join the watch!!!

It’s a great little resource, so take time to look at the supporting publications and links to other related resources.

Many thanks and happy reading!

Luke Purcell