Make your first choice a pact to cherish life

Philippa Ross at the Antarctic Ocean Alliance lunch for Delegates of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)

Good afternoon honored guests, ladies and gentlemen. Kia Ora.

My name is Philippa Ross. I am the proud Great Great Great Grandaughter of the British polar explorer Sir James Clark Ross. James was known for his discovery of the North magnetic pole and his magnetic surveys of the Antarctic.

My father, the eldest descendant of Sir James will celebrate his 77th birthday on the 12th November – the very day James sailed from these shores 172 years ago to find the south magnetic pole. The most precious gift I could give him is news that our family’s legacy will be protected for eternity.

James Clark’s courage to explore the two most extreme continents of the planet was driven by an insatiable desire to acquire scientific knowledge and an understanding of how nature’s laws govern the earth’s magnetic field.

James’ discovery of the area known as the Ross Ice Shelf and the Ross Sea has provided the world with a legacy of intrinsic value; giving us the chance to discover the depth of the interdependent relationship between the land and sea and how it sustains the world wide web of life.

I have inherited James’ passion for science and the effect the earth’s magnetic field has on the health of our environment and its inhabitants. I work as a leadership trainer and mentor in my business — Cherish Wellbeing — helping people enhance their spiritual, emotional, mental and physical health.

Our land acts as lungs for the earth, while our seas perform like the heart, circulating the sustenance that all living organisms need to survive.

We can no longer afford to ignore nature’s wisdom.

I acknowledge the work you do to understand how the ecosystems of the Southern Ocean are interconnected to the entire planet; so I feel sure you will appreciate how much of a biological imperative it is that we live within their means.

The Ross family crest carries the motto ‘Spes Aspera Levat’, meaning ‘Hope lightens difficulties’. Behind every difficulty lies an opportunity. It is my hope that your open hearts will lighten the difficult conservation decisions before you and reveal the opportunities that lie beneath an agreement to preserve the Ross Sea and the Southern oceans.

I trust you will honor the memory of my Great Great Great Grandfather and show the same courage and resilience to overcome the tough choices ahead, so you can steer your moral compass to take the crucial action needed to help put the planet back on an even keel.

Nature has no boundaries between land and sea. They are an integral part of our whole ecosystem. So much has been achieved since the Antarctic continent were set aside. Imagine what could be accomplished if large-scale Southern Ocean protection was achieved too.

The objective is simple – a healthy planet that enables all living organisms to flourish. As guardians of life in the Southern Ocean, this is your chance to create an enduring legacy. Draw on your integrity. Invest in the future. Cherish our Oceans. Make the only natural choice. Choose a marine protected area for the Ross Sea AND choose circumpolar protection for the surrounding ocean of the Antarctic. This is your last chance to save the Last Ocean.

Make your first choice a pact to cherish life.

Earlier today: Global outcry for Antarctic marine protection in final week of CCAMLR

• A summary of the 19 areas AOA is trying to protect – the world’s biggest push for MPAs in history: HERE