Great Environmental News - I think

I received an e-mail from Point Blue Conservation Science (formerly Point Reyes Bird Observatory) announcing a conservation agreement concerning the Ross Sea. The gist of it is that

the 24-nation Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) unanimously agreed to establish the Ross Sea as the world's largest marine protected area.

The CCAMLR's 24 members include the EU and the Russian federation as well as the US (list is here: https://www.ccamlr.org/en/organisation/members)

Certain human activities such as fishing will be largely curtailed, though some fishing for the Antarctic toothfish will be allowed within a designated zone. The agreement sunsets after 35 years, but at least some protections are in place for the near future.

Caveat: The letter doesn't mention oil, gas and other minerals and I haven't had time to find and review the agreement yet.

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Bisbonian's picture

tens of thousands of miles away is already having a big effect on the Antarctic environment...how do we tie that in to say that protecting the Ross Sea begins at home?

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

enhydra lutris's picture

action on it is another matter. I don't expect to see any real progress from governments until after their respective populations have already significantly done away with burning hydrocarbons, at which point they'll step in to help the oil & gas biggies to find alternate uses for their petroleum.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Bisbonian's picture

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

Who's going to enforce anything? It's so far off the beaten path, who is willing to expend the resources? Only caring entities with no clout.

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There is no such thing as TMI. It can always be held in reserve for extortion.

enhydra lutris's picture

That alone would be a pretty good thing.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --