Joint statement for MPAs establishment in the Southern Ocean, Antarctica
The Department of State (DOS) issued apress release containing joint statement issued by the Foreign Ministers of Australia, France, New Zealand, the United States, and the Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Union calling for the establishment of marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean, in the Ross Sea Region, and in East Antarctica.
The establishment of such MPAs follows through on the vision expressed by all nations at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002 and the Rio+20 conference in 2012.
Since 2005, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (the Commission, CCAMLR) has worked to complete the necessary groundwork for the designation of MPAs in CCAMLR, including the establishment of a legal framework agreed by all Members and extensive scientific research.
The Ross Sea and East Antarctica regions are widely recognized for their remarkable ecological and scientific importance. The MPA proposals now before the Commission are based on sound and best available science, will provide a unique laboratory for continuation of marine research, and will have profound and lasting benefits for ocean conservation, including sustainable use of its resources.
Ross Sea and Southern Ocean in Antarctica
Image Source: Wikipedia
