Russia, China and Ukraine blamed for blocking plan to protect Antarctic Ocean

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
11/2/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Failure to develop network of protected zones concerns scientists

Meetings in Australia to draw up a plan to protect the Antarctic Ocean, along with its marine life have proved to be unsuccessful. Leaders have failed to come up with a consensus plan to address this international, environmental issue, deferring a decision until July 2013 when all the relevant science will be considered.

Large swaths of Antarctica have recently come under pressure to meet the growing global demand for sea food. Antarctica's rich resources are increasingly targeted.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Environmental groups have blamed Russia, China and Ukraine for blocking agreement. Meeting for the past two weeks, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) has been meeting on the island of Tasmania.

Comprised of representatives from 24 governments and the European Union, the commission has been considering proposals for the establishment of marine reserves in two critical areas of the Southern Ocean.

Large swaths of Antarctica have recently come under pressure to meet the growing global demand for sea food. Antarctica's rich resources are increasingly targeted.

Climate change, coupled with increased acidification of the waters is also likely to affect the food sources and habitats of many species in the region including penguins, seals and whales.

Meetings in the United States and New Zealand both put forward competing plans to create a marine protected area of 1.6 million square kilometers in the Ross Sea.

Another proposal would have created a reserve zone around East Antarctica. At around 1.9 million square kilometers, it would have covered an area almost three times the size of France.

Celebrity endorsements have included Hollywood star Leonardo Di Caprio, who wrote in an email that whales and penguins can't speak for themselves and that there should be a "massive wave of public pressure" to drive forward the plans for restrictions.

Many have expressed their disappointment with the failure to reach an agreement.

"There are competing interests, in terms of commercial interests and in terms of the economic control of these areas, we floundered essentially at the end of the talks," Steve Campbell of the AOA told reporters.

Campbell did praise the constructive contributions of a number of countries including the United States, Australia and the U.K. But with consensus of all 25 members needed for progress, some countries refused to compromise on the proposals.

"At the end of the day it seems that countries like Russia, Ukraine and China couldn't really make it work - and we're hoping that at the next meeting they'll come with a stronger commitment to the conservation objectives of the commission."

� 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Keywords: Antarctica, conservations, meetings, Tasmania, Australia, acidification, climate change

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1 - 2 of 2 Comments

Paul-Emile Leray
6 months ago
Please read the last paragraph. Did communism, socialism, marxism work? Should we be surprised? Power, control, money, sex, love often spin the world with those lacking in perception. Love is the only virtuous one. The rest? Basically, on a baser level of reality. And since politics is a power and control game, with all sorts of political ideologies (dangerous) then the answers are likely NOT to be found in politics. And the bankers can't speak the truth either. And neither can democracies, since they need votes to get elected. And neither can business, since they operate out of self preservation and self interest. Solution? Who owns the fish? Think about that. If a fish is born under the political jurisdiction of one country but is caught in the jurisdiction of another country, who owns the fish? Can we ask the fish? Does the fish have any rights? If one country grows the geese but they get shot on another continent, since geese travel not countries but at times from Canada to South America then who has the "right" to the goose? This sounds a little eccentric and nuts, does it not? And WHO owns the oceans? Well, whose environment is it? Do humans live IN the ocean all the time? No. Humans live most of the time on land. What if my pigeon is fed by me, trained by me, but is too stubborn to come home and therefore gets shot on the other side of town; do I get to eat it or should the one who shot it get to eat it? Finder's keepers? Based on that premise, North America likely doesn't belong to whites or blacks but to the Indians...or rather, First Nations in this age of political correctness. (and yes, I realize that First Nations people are not only the Indians; not those in India but those in North America) And I also realize that with some, travel expands their horizons. And? With others, it simply spreads their ignorance over a broader surface area. No, travel does NOT mean one is more enlightened. Jesus didn't travel too far. I don't think Buddha or Socrates did either. And I'm pretty sure Plato wasn't a world traveller either. With most, travel spreads their ignorance over larger surface areas since they take pictures with their own cameras instead of looking at things through the lens of those owned by a television station. Who owns territory? NOT in terms of human made LAWS and JUDICIARY systems, but in REALITY. Who owns planet earth? We do, for now. Then, future generations. It is ON LOAN to us. NOT OURS forever, since we all die. Will some people wake up! What in the hell is so complex about this? Is it only stupid people who end up in politics? No wonder Einstein refused some offers. No wonder Plato was a GREAT philosopher and political philosopher but way too smart and wise to actually rule a country. Politicians SERVE us, because if we don't apply pressure on them they'll RUIN everything even more. By the way, on the subject of certain cultures, some have little respect for territories outside their own homes. Why? Based on some cultures and laws, public property is viewed as SOMEONE ELSE'S responsibility. You can imagine, then, how much GARBAGE and environmental consciousness is present then, right? Raise the bar very HIGH, because even then a mess will occur. At least, try preventing much of it BEFORE it happens. PREVENTION. The problem with Americans is that although they often get things right, it is usually after having tried practically everything else. (the old saying is often true) One way to not DROWN is simply to not be in water, including mud puddles for some drunks have likely fallen flat faced down into a mud puddle or died inside bathtubs. As a matter of fact, Thomas Merton was electrocuted in a bathtub wasn't he? (and he wasn't a drunk, he was a great writer) You see, even a bathtub inside your own home can be dangerous (or anywhere else). If you don't want to risk burning from lava, don't build your house on top of the volcano. Don't want to get sandwiched between 2 tectonic plates? Don't go diving in those areas. There must be more people out there with FORESIGHT is there not? Is it that complex? You can put a rocket on the MOON but you can't figure out what to do with the environment? Please. Something is wrong somewhere. The equation just doesn't add up. You can analyze molecules and atoms, yet not figure out environmental problems? This is truly taking the public as fools. CHAOS sure benefits many, does it not? Not everyone seeks solutions. Why? When the patients' bill of health is clean, the doctors and hospitals are less busy.
Paul-Emile Leray
Eamon Hatley-Smith
7 months ago
A zero sum horizon!?

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