Tag Archives: Ross Sea

Toothfish research draws scientists, seafarers back for second Antarctic journey

Having broken the ice three years ago, a Nelson-based longliner is making a return voyage to the Antarctic to gain further insights into the world of toothfish. The Talley’s-owned FV Janas sailed last week to the northern Ross Sea region to carry out a winter scientific research survey. This is the second such trip for the Janas, having successfully completed a survey in the Ross Sea in 2016. During that trip, scientists and crew successfully fertilised Antarctic toothfish eggs, measured egg buoyancy of newly fertilised eggs, and collected wild eggs from plankton for the first time in history. >click to read< 14:28

Ross Sea marine park announced, but concerns linger over expiry date

58128d8158d9d_558ea2adb0629d53689907258083b54bd3a938f4The world’s largest marine protected area will be created in Antarctica’s waters in an global agreement made in Hobart. “It has been clearly established that fully protecting large parts of the ocean is critical to mitigating the effects of climate change”, he said. Ukraine, China and Russian Federation had expressed concerns in the past, with Russian Federation becoming the final holdout before the deal was made. “The Ross Sea Region [Marine Protected Area] will safeguard one of the last unspoiled ocean wilderness areas on the planet ― home to unparalleled marine biodiversity and thriving communities of penguins, seals, whales, seabirds, and fish”, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement. “Seventy-two percent of the MPA will be a “no-take” zone, which forbids all fishing, while other sections will permit some harvesting of fish and krill for scientific research”, the commission explained. There will be a blanket ban on commercial fishing across about three-quarters of that area. Read the rest here 16:28

East-West hostility may stall Ross Sea conservation

A proposal to protect one of the most pristine marine ecosystems on the earth, Antarctica’s Ross Sea, could be jeopardized by growing tensions between Russia and the West, say environmentalists involved in next week’s high-level meeting on the plan. The two countries first blocked plans for the reserve in 2011 but, according to one environmentalist who asked to remain anonymous, CCAMLR negotiations took a downturn in 2013 when Russia granted asylum to National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden, prompting President Barack Obama to cancel a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Read the rest here 12:30