Ross Sea Marine Reserve

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The western Ross Sea (in the background the Transantarctic Mountains )
Map of the planned protected area.
1: general protection zone, three sub-areas
2: special research zone
3: krill research zone

The marine reserve Ross Sea ( marine protection area , MPA Ross Sea ) is a effective from January 2017 marine reserve in the Antarctic Ross Sea . With an area of ​​1.55 million square kilometers (km², roughly the area of ​​Germany, Great Britain and France together), it replaces the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and off Hawaii (1.5 million km²) as the largest marine reserve on earth.

development

At the beginning of November 2012 at a conference of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in Hobart, Australia, negotiations on the creation of the proposed 1.55 million km² protected area in the region failed . The People's Republic of China , Russia and Ukraine had concerns about possible restrictions on fishing .

In July 2013, a special meeting of the (CCAMLR) was convened in Bremerhaven on the initiative of the German government at the time . Representatives of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition , a consortium of 30 international environmental organizations (eg WWF , Conservation International , BirdLife etc.) called for the sustainable conservation of the Southern Ocean by the designation of protected areas. In the same session, a large area on the edge of the Arctic Ocean was negotiated: “If both proposals were implemented, a marine reserve would arise that would be twice the size of all currently existing fully protected marine areas and, for the first time, such a large area would be managed by a multinational group set up ”, said Rodolfo Werner from the non-governmental organization Pew Charitable Trusts' Antarctic marine campaign.

All decisions of the CCAMLR require unanimity. During the 2013 negotiations, Russia blocked the creation of the marine reserve, as Russian representatives questioned the Commission's authorization to designate protected areas. At the same time, Russia was one of the countries that campaigned for the special meeting of the Commission in Bremerhaven. Even China and the Ukraine fought back against the reserve.

decision

At the end of October 2016 in Hobart, Australia , the 24 states involved in the CCAMLR and the EU agreed to designate what will then be the largest marine reserve on earth. On 1.12 million km² z. For example, all fishing will be prohibited for an initial period of 35 years.

Another protection zone with an area of ​​one million square kilometers is planned for East Antarctica ; no agreement has yet been reached in the Commission.

In addition, the CCAMLR received a proposal for protection from the EU for the Weddell Sea , the largest marginal sea of the Antarctic Ocean . This failed for the time being in November 2018 due to resistance from China, Norway and Russia.

Territorial setting

The USA and New Zealand wanted to designate an area of ​​2.3 million km² as a marine reserve in the Ross Sea, including a 1.6 million km² zone which is to be closed to the exploitation of all natural resources .

Importance and protected assets

The Ross Sea is one of the last marine ecosystems in the world that is relatively intact and home to a species-rich marine fauna . It has the most productive waters of the Southern Ocean and is home to a unique biological diversity: whales, seals, large fish, penguins and other sea birds frolic in the icy waters.

Commercial fishing has threatened this sea area for several years. Initiated by New Zealand, an international fleet has been hunting the giant Antarctic cod since 1996 . According to the 2013 plans, 50 percent of all adult animals are to be fished out within the next 35 years.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Block Russia, China and Ukraine: Antarctica will not get any new marine protected areas. Focus, November 2, 2012 (accessed November 2, 2012).
  2. ↑ asoc.org
  3. ↑ July 15, 2013: oekonews.at: The largest marine reserve in the world is planned in Antarctica.
  4. ↑ a b taz.de , October 28, 2016, Urs Wolderlin: Glück für die Antarctis (December 28, 2016)
  5. ↑ deutschlandfunk.de , news in depth , October 28, 2016: Edge of the Antarctic to be the world's largest marine protection zone (December 28, 2016)
  6. ↑ deutschlandfunk.de , Interview , October 28, 2016, Sandra Schöttner in conversation with Christiane Kaess : "An absolutely historic deal" (December 28, 2016)
  7. ↑ Antarctica: plans for the largest marine reserve failed . In: ZEIT ONLINE . November 2, 2018 ( zeit.de [accessed November 6, 2018]).