H.M. Queen Noor released an Op-Ed in Russian newspaper VVP calling for the Russian government to support the creation of a marine protected area in the Ross Sea. The Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) meets in Hobart, Australia from October 17 to 28 where negotiations will continue on the Ross Sea. Russia is the current chair of CCAMLR.
In the Op-Ed, H.M. Queen Noor advocated that “Russia can take the lead on what could be the biggest piece of ocean protection ever declared, the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area. CCAMLR, a convention ratified by Russia and 24 other member governments, is charged with the responsibility of conserving the unique ecosystems of the seas surrounding Antarctica and is part of the Antarctic Treaty System,”
The Ross Sea remains one of the most intact marine ecosystems on Earth, with robust populations of whales, penguins, seals, albatrosses and other species. Protecting the Ross Sea would create the world’s largest marine protected area.
Her Majesty emphasized that “while there is broad support from the rest of the international community, its Russian leadership that can bring a strong victory to the Southern Ocean and to all of humanity at a moment in time when the country prepares for its 2017 Year of Ecology. By supporting the creation of the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area, Russia, in its role as Chair of CCAMLR, could set the turning point on the Earth’s recovery from man’s enormous impact on its ecosystems and environmental health.”
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