Global campaign to declare a marine sanctuary in Antarctica continues

An international campaign of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) had failed in its mandate when a two-week conference that was expected to declare an Antarctic marine sanctuary in the Southern Ocean ended without a consensus. This only strengthened the efforts of the Antarctic Ocean Alliance (AOA) in increasing public awareness on a cause that has even caught the attention of global celebrities. Thirty organizations make up the AOA and their concerted efforts continue as they prepare for the next gathering of nations. And the Global campaign to declare a marine sanctuary in Antarctica continues.

The CCAMLR is an international commission that was founded in 1982. Its primary mandate is to conserve marine life in Antarctica and provide measures and guidelines with regard to the sustainable utilization of marine resources in the region. In the conference attended by 24 countries and the European Union, two marine sanctuaries with a total area twice the size of India have been proposed to protect the fragile ecosystem of the Southern Ocean. The United States and New Zealand are campaigning for a 1.6 million square km. in the Ross Sea. Australia and the European Union are supporting the proposed 1.9 million square km. area along the East Antarctic coast. These areas would ban fishing or allow only moderate fishing in certain areas.

China, Japan, South Korea, the Ukraine, and Russia, countries that rely heavily on their fishing industries did not approve of the additional restrictions recommended by the proposal. These countries cited that the limitations would greatly affect their fishing quota of toothfish or Chilean sea bass. In the CCAMLR, there is no vote or resolution for as long as a consensus is not reached, no matter how small the opposition is.

Antarctica is for everyone

Antarctica is endemic to penguins and thousands of species of fishes, whales and seals. No nation exercises sovereignty in Antarctica. The Antarctic Treaty signed on December 1, 1959 designates the region as “a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science.” This treaty and the additional agreements that came afterwards are signed by 50 countries. Having thus agreed, specific discussions about resource allotment and environmental issues related to Antarctica have always been met by discord and lack of resolution due to vested interests.

The US and New Zealand initially had separate proposals with regard to the Ross Sea marine sanctuary. The United States has scientific interests in what is considered to be the most preserved ocean environment in the world, while New Zealand advocates the sanctuary in order to minimize disruption to its fishing industry. The two countries campaigned separately to the member nations and only reached an agreement during the said meeting. Perhaps the CCALMR could learn from the long process that the two nations went through for a resolution to be reached in their next gathering.

Global campaign to declare a marine sanctuary in Antarctica continues

Amongst the most outspoken in support of the Antarctic marine sanctuary is actor Leonardo DiCaprio whose foundation is working with another organization, Avaaz. DiCaprio has initiated a global petition through Avaaz in an effort to increase public awareness and incite global action on the Antarctic talks. The public has to speak out because the penguins and the whales “can’t speak for themselves,” Di Caprio wrote.

The AOA and all its member organizations just became even more determined to campaign for “people power” as they prepare for the next CCAMLR conference this coming July in Germany.