Antarctic debate about to heat up

 Waipu’s Philippa Ross is continuing her fight to make the Ross Sea safe from commercial fishing. Ross is the great-great-great-granddaughter of polar explorer Sir James Clarke Ross, who discovered the Ross Sea in 1841.

Kiwi film-maker Peter Young has highlighted the cause with his documentary The Last Ocean, shown in Mangawhai late last year.

While a 25-nation Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) failed to agree to the protected marine area proposal at their November 2012 conference, a July 2013 gathering in Bremerhaven, Germany, will again consider the proposal.

The lead up to Bremerhaven is a big opportunity to make a difference in spreading the word and widening awareness of the situation.

Speaking at a special screening of the movie The Last Ocean in Washington DC last month, US Secretary of State, John Kerry, said he hoped that the film would inspire people to be responsible stewards of the planet.

A whistle-stop fundraising campaign undertaken by The Last Ocean team is currently making it’s way across the US, Germany and into the UK.
Both the US and NZ are key players in negotiations for a Ross Sea Marine Protected Area (MPA) and will spearhead the Ross Sea marine reserve proposal at the July special meeting.

While the proposed MPA covers a considerable area, it allows for commercial fishing in the Ross Sea. Both Governments need to know that while this proposal is an important first step it does not go far enough and offer the Ross Sea the full protection it deserves, says Ross.

�¡ You can help or contribute at www.thelastoceanfilm.com