EU wants more new large-scale Marine Protected Areas in Antarctica

The EU wants to see more new large-scale Marine Protected Areas designated in Antarctica.

Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, will host a ministerial meeting to build further support for designating new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Southern Ocean today, September 29.

The meeting takes place ahead of the 40th annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in October  and will serve to coordinate the actions of the co-sponsors. New co-sponsors will also be announced during the meeting.

Commissioner Sinkevičius said: “At this ministerial meeting we are reaffirming EU’s commitment to preserve the rich and vulnerable marine life of the Southern Ocean. It is now more imperative than ever to act to turn the tide, as biodiversity loss and climate change are affecting fragile ecosystems at an unprecedented pace. Many countries worldwide have acknowledged this urgency and have already become co-sponsor of the new Marine Protected Areas, but we need all CCAMLR members to join.”

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