Swedish delegation members Jessica Nilsson and Bo Fernholm. Pic: Rob Blakers
AOA Launch Global Leadership Scoreboard
Showing Support for Southern Ocean MPAs
Earlier today, the Antarctic Ocean Alliance (AOA) launched a Global Leadership Scoreboard on which delegation representatives to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) had an opportunity to indicate their support for marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Southern Ocean.
This event took place as representatives of the 25 Members[1] of CCAMLR meet in Hobart, where they will decide the fate of two key protection proposals in the Ross Sea and East Antarctica.
The Scoreboard represents CCAMLR country responses to the question, “Does your delegation support the designation of MPAs in the Ross Sea and East Antarctica?” AOA’s Global Leadership Scoreboard lists every member country, and each delegation has been invited to come and physically tick off their support for two MPAs.
So far, France, Germany, New Zealand, the United States of America, Korea, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, the United Kingdom, Spain and the European Union have ticked their support.
While the question to which the delegations are responding pertains to general support for the two Antarctic MPAs, there are specific proposals under discussion.
A joint US-NZ proposal to designate a Ross Sea MPA of 1.32 million km2 (with 1.25 million km2 area proposed as “no take”) is under consideration. The Ross Sea is often referred to as “The Last Ocean” due to its status as one of the most pristine oceans remaining on earth.
Australia, France and the EU are once again proposing an MPA to protect 1.2 million km2 of East Antarctic waters. Their proposal would allow for exploratory and research activities within the MPA if they are consistent with the maintenance of the MPAs objectives.
The CCAMLR Commission will meet from 20 October to 1 November, when decisions about the proposals are expected to be announced.
“We welcome the work that is underway now to establish marine protection in the Ross Sea and East Antarctic, and support those countries engaged in the negotiation of those proposals in good faith,” said Steve Campbell, Campaign Director for AOA. “But if CCAMLR members are to move forward with credibility and coherence, then clear and visionary decisions need to be made by the 31st of October 2014. These countries indicating their support for MPA’s is a good start, but we need to go the whole distance to a decision.”
The Antarctic Ocean Alliance partners are attending the CCAMLR meeting in Hobart and are working to ensure delegates step up to the challenge and designate the Ross Sea and East Antarctic proposals.
More…
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About: The Antarctic Ocean Alliance is a coalition of high-profile individuals and some 30 leading environmental groups. These include The Pew Charitable Trusts, Greenpeace, WWF, Humane Society International, the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC), the Blue Marine Foundation (UK), Mission Blue (US), Oceans 5 (US), Deep Wave (Germany), The Last Ocean, the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement (KFEM), Greenovation Hub (China), Forest & Bird (NZ), ECO (NZ), Friends of the Earth Japan and associate partners the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Oceana, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Ocean Planet (Australia).
