October 28, 2016 — WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Nations from around the world on Friday reached an historic agreement to preserve an area of ocean near Antarctica that’s about twice the size of Texas. Here are some questions and answers about the deal:
Q: WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT THE AREA?
A: The marine protected area will be in the Ross Sea, considered to be one of the most pristine environments in the world. New Zealand officials say that at different times, the area is home to about one-third of the world’s Adelie penguins and 26 percent of the world’s emperor penguins. It also boasts thriving colonies of seabirds, seals and whales. Researchers say the region is important to study because it is almost untouched by humans, and should remain that way. Several countries fish in the region for lucrative Antarctic toothfish, which are often sold in stores and restaurants as Chilean sea bass.
Q: WHAT MAKES THIS AGREEMENT GROUNDBREAKING?
A: Individual nations across the globe have set aside dozens of marine reserves. But proponents say this is the first time that a bunch of nations have collaborated to protect an area on the high seas — the open ocean that falls outside the jurisdiction of any one nation. The deal was put together by New Zealand and the U.S.
Q: WHAT ARE THE DETAILS?
A: The reserve covers 1.6 million square kilometers (617,000 square miles), making it the world’s largest marine protected area. About 72 percent will be a no-take zone, where commercial fishing will be banned. In the remaining areas, limited fishing for toothfish or krill will be allowed, although fisher folk will be required to do extra monitoring and tagging so scientists can evaluate what’s happening to fish stocks. Researchers can apply to take limited numbers of fish from throughout the reserve.
Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Gloucester Daily Times