World's Largest Marine Sanctuary Created Off Antarctica

[schumi]

The world's largest marine reserve, nearly twice the size of Texas, has been established off the coast of Antarctica this week.

The isolated but wildlife-rich Ross Sea in the Southern Ocean is already thought to be one of the least-altered marine environments on the planet. The new agreement means that an area covering 598,000 square miles (1.55 million square kilometers) of this sea will be further protected from human activities like fishing.

The reserve was unanimously approved today (Oct. 28) by all 25 members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) at their meeting in Hobart, Australia. The agreement will come into force in December 2017.

More at: http://www.livescience.com/56681-largest-marine-reserve-created-off-antarctica.html

 

[maumau]

Love it ♡

 

[Magnum]

So when are we going fishing?

 

[KleinBoontjie]

Thought the Japanese is already fishing there?

 

[etienne_marais]

CCAMLR - Japan is a member, hmmm

 

[KleinBoontjie]

From 2014...

Members of the anti-whaling activist group Sea Shepherd reportedly spotted the Nisshin Maru sailing through the internationally recognised Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in Antarctica's Ross Dependency, within New Zealand's territorial waters, during the annual whaling season.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/photos-show-japanese-boats-whaling-in-internationally-protected-area-9041112.html

 

[etienne_marais]

From 2014...


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/photos-show-japanese-boats-whaling-in-internationally-protected-area-9041112.html

Not disputing, just find it a bit ironic with their general approach to marine harvesting

 

[KleinBoontjie]

Didn't the Japanese use this excuse in the past, when killing tons of whales, etc.

Under the agreement, 72 percent of the reserve will be a "no-take" zone, where all fishing will be prohibited; some fishing for scientific research will still be allowed in the remaining 28 percent of the reserve, according to the CCAMLR.