Edward Norton Calls for Antarctic Marine Reserve

Actor Ed Norton and a coalition of environmental groups is calling for the world's largest marine reserve to be declared in Antarctica's Ross Sea to prevent "industrial scale" fishing from ruining the pristine ecosystem.

Published

about 1 year ago

Categories

Science, Wildlife

Topics

Wildlife

People

Edward Norton

Places

Reserve, Antarctica

Tags

animal, environmentalist, seal, activist, whale, sea creatures, sea life, marine life, fishing, ecosystem, penguin, marine reserve, conservationist

Transcript

SHOTLIST: <br></br><br></br>SOURCE: ANTARCTIC OCEAN ALLIANCE/ FISHEYE FILMS / GREENPEACE INTERNATIONAL <br></br>RESTRICTIONS: NO RESALE FOR NON EDITORIAL PURPOSES. MUST BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ROSS SEA REPORT LAUNCH <br></br>WEB ACCESS CLEARED <br></br><br></br>- SOUNDBITE 1: Steve Campbell (man), Coordinator of the Antarctic Ocean Alliance (English, 20 secs): <br></br>"Today the Antarctic Ocean Alliance is calling for the protection of 3.6 million square kilometers in an area called the Ross Sea. Our new report outlines the most unique and critical areas and ecosystems that should be protected and we’re calling for their full protection this year." <br></br><br></br>- SOUNDBITE 2: Steve Campbell (man), Coordinator of the Antarctic Ocean Alliance (English, 20 secs): <br></br>"Around 85 percent of the world’s fisheries are currently overfished or under threat and this area in Antarctica is one of the most unique and pristine areas on the planet so while we still have an opportunity there is a window here for us to call for the protection of this area and to make sure that it is there for science and for future generations in times to come." <br></br><br></br>- SOUNDBITE 3: Edward Norton (man), actor and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for biodiversity (English, 21 secs): <br></br>"Nobody, whether an environmental advocate, a scientist or a fisherman, will tell you that the oceans are what they were ten years ago, twenty years ago, sixty years ago even. The abundance is just simply not there anymore." <br></br><br></br>Images <br></br>- Various shots of Antarctic landscapes <br></br>- Various shots of Adelie Penguins <br></br>- Various shots of killer whales <br></br>- Various shots of Weddell seals <br></br><br></br>---------------------------------------- <br></br>AFP TEXT STORY: <br></br><br></br>NZealand-Antarctic-environment-conservation <br></br> Conservationists call for huge Antarctic marine reserve <br></br> =(GRAPHIC+PICTURE+VIDEO)= <br></br><br></br> WELLINGTON, Feb 28, 2012 (AFP) - A coalition of environment groups called Tuesday for the world's largest marine reserve to be declared in Antarctica's Ross Sea to prevent "industrial scale" fishing ruining the pristine ecosystem. <br></br> The Antarctic Ocean Alliance said waters surrounding the remote frozen continent were facing increased exploitation as fish stocks elsewhere in the world continue to decline. <br></br> The alliance of 16 conservation groups including Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund and Humane Society International, proposes a 3.6 million square kilometres (1.4 million square mile) protection zone in the Ross Sea. <br></br> "The Ross Sea is one of the world's most amazing and relatively untouched marine environments," the alliance's US adviser Chuck Fox said at the launch of a report outlining the proposal in Wellington. <br></br> Fox said that while New Zealand and the United States had also outlined plans to protect the Ross Sea, their proposals did not go far enough and would not prevent commercial fishing in the area. <br></br> He said the international organisation charged with managing the southern seas -- the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) -- was set to decide on a network of marine reserves this year. <br></br> But Fox said CCAMLR was making its decision behind closed doors and the alliance was launching a world-wide petition titled "Join the Watch" demanding the best-possible protection for the Ross Sea. <br></br> The petition has attracted high-profile supporters including British tycoon Richard Branson and Hollywood actor Edward Norton, who said it was vital for the public to lobby CCAMLR as it decides the Ross Sea's fate. <br></br> "There’s a moment of opportunity here to apply pressure and send a signal that millions of people are watching this process and are saying 'don’t let us down'," he said. <br></br> The report said the Ross Sea was home to large numbers of seal, seabirds, whales and squid, as well as the Antarctic toothfish, a slow-growing species which lives up to 50 years and has been decimated by fishing in recent years. <br></br> It said Antarctica was also a critical resource for studying climate change, with its ice cores providing valuable data on greenhouse gas levels and temperatures. <br></br> "A large-scale (Ross Sea) marine reserve would be an important and inspirational step for marine protection both in the Southern Ocean and globally," it said. <br></br><br></br>END