Writer： Greenpeace
A bill signed by 2.7 million people around the world to support the Antarctic Marine Reserve in the Weddell Sea has been submitted to the Commission on the Antarctic Oceanography (CCAMLR) for discussion in the past two weeks. The threshold for passing a marine protected area bill is extremely high, and all members must agree unanimously. Although 22 of the 25 members expressed support, the Antarctic Marine Reserve, which covers an area of 1.8 million square kilometers (about the size of 50 Taiwan islands), was not established due to opposition from China, Norway and Russia. The regrets left at the meeting also allow Antarctic creatures such as penguins and blue whales to continue to suffer from commercial fishing and other human activities, as well as plastic pollution that does not respect national boundaries, and the threat of climate change.
The full name of the Antarctic Marine Commission is the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). Has it forgotten its original intention and is inclined to expand fishery interests? A small number of delegations adopted delaying tactics and consumed meeting time that could have been used to discuss scientific arguments. In the end, no consensus was reached, and a great opportunity to protect the environment, combat climate change, and protect the health of the global ocean was lost. But the support of the vast majority of members will not be wiped out. The next step will inevitably be transformed into the impetus for negotiations on the United Nations Convention on the Sea and even more international conservation conferences.
Protect the pure sky white and sea blue
The Antarctic ocean is full of rich ecology. This pure and natural white land and vast ocean need more protection:
Scientists aboard the Greenpeace ship "Polar Dawn" dived 570 meters under the sea earlier this year to record the beauty and fragility of the Antarctic seabed. The images sent back by the small submarine vividly record the wonderful ecology of the seabed, fully demonstrating that the Weddell Sea is a habitat worth protecting.
Greenpeace's investigative report questioned whether krill really plays a key role in human health. Although krill, which are six millimeters long, are small, they are the food source and the basis of the biological chain for countless Antarctic creatures such as seals, whales and penguins. Merchants promote that Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial to cardiovascular health. In fact, Omega-3 can be consumed through daily diet (such as fish and nuts), and nutritional supplements such as flaxseed oil or spirulina are also available. There is no need to rely on the fragile Antarctic ecology. cost.
As many as 2.7 million people around the world have signed Greenpeace's petition urging governments to make the right decisions to protect Antarctica through the Antarctic Ocean Commission. Many celebrities have also joined as "Antarctic Ambassadors" to exert their influence and speak out for the Antarctic ecology.
Protecting the global ocean from harm requires continued care from you and me. Greenpeace will continue to protect this blue planet and continue to lobby governments and businesses around the world to strengthen policies related to ocean protection, including global marine protected areas that will be discussed at United Nations conferences in recent years. and other international agreements. In addition, our fleet has been at sea for a long time to investigate and reveal the truth about ocean damage, including overfishing, illegal operations, ecological damage, plastic pollution, etc., so that more global guardians can join in the concern, and provide concrete evidence to leaders and leaders of various countries. Businesses express the urgency of protecting the ocean. You are invited to donate to support Greenpeace’s international environmental work!
