30th October 2012 - SYDNEY

Humane Society International (HSI) has today welcomed the proposal by the US and New Zealand to protect Antarctica’s Ross Sea. This proposal, put forward at the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) meeting currently underway in Hobart, will be the largest ever marine reserve established if adopted by CCAMLR.

HSI is part of the Antarctic Ocean Alliance (AOA) which is calling for 3.6 million square kilometres of Ross Sea habitats to be protected based on the current scientific research. The US-NZ proposal provides 1.6 million square kilometres of no-take areas. This new joint proposal for Ross Sea by the US and New Zealand could be the foundation for the development of a network of marine reserves in the Southern Ocean.

“This proposal, put forward by US and New Zealand, is clearly substantial and we welcome this move to establish the largest marine reserve in the world,” said HSI Campaign Director Michael Kennedy.

“The eyes of the world are currently on the negotiations in Hobart, and we urge all parties to work to create a representative system of marine protected areas. Given that all members of the Commission need to agree to this proposal there can be no guarantee of success,” concluded Mr Kennedy.

HSI and the AOA believe it is vital that any proposal provides enduring protection for the most important places.