A new generation of hunters
Customs officers approaching an illegal fishing vessel
© Australian Customs Service
A hundred years ago it was seals and whales that were pushed to the brink in Antarctica by a hunting frenzy.
Protection has seen some of these animals recover since the middle of the last century, however, in the latter part of the 20th century a new generation of hunters has arrived - pirate fishers seeking fish and krill.
Pirate fishing is illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing which continues to plunder valuable fish stock and kill tens of thousands of seabirds each year through bycatch. Bycatch occurs when seabirds see an easy meal near the fishing boats and are drowned when they are caught on the long-line fishing hooks dragged behind the boats.
Harsh Antarctic conditions don't stop pirate fishers
There's not a single tree in Antarctica but more than 100 million birds nest and breed there including the majority of the world's penguins.
Antarctica is a continent of extremes, with two world records - the lowest temperature ever recorded at minus 89.2°C and the windiest place. In one area the wind speed reaches hurricane force of over 118 km an hour every three days.
Three-quarters of the world's freshwater is ice; 90% of that ice is in Antarctica.
Marine vandals
Pirate fishers are environmental vandals that ignore conservation measures and don't reduce bycatch through available technology. They also don't recognise the areas that are closed to fishing to protect juveniles, nurseries and habitats.
Adelie penguins
© WWF-Canon/Sylvia RUBLI
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing accounts for 3,080 tonnes of illegal fishing in the 2005/06 fishing season. This puts pressure on legal fishing in the region as fishing quotas are adjusted to take account of the lowering fish stocks.
Antarctic krill, which seabirds, penguins, fish and whales feed upon, has dropped by as much as 80% since the 1970s. Krill feed on the algae underneath sea ice and the fall in the amount of sea ice, a process which is linked to global warming, is largely thought to be the cause of this drop. However, overfishing also contributes to the decline in krill numbers.
Protecting the ocean of diversity
Whether the incredible diversity of the Antarctic region survives this second wave of fishing exploitation and the impact of climate change will be determined in the next few decades.
WWF's Antarctica & Southern Ocean Initiative focuses on the major threats to the region including pirate fishing, the bycatch of seabirds and climate change. The initiative plans to map Southern Ocean biodiversity hotspots in order to develop a network of marine protected areas (MPAs).
Marine protected areas are one of the key ways to protect our precious resources. New Zealand has led the way with the recent government announcement that it will protect the underwater habitat of at least 30% of its Exclusive Economic Zone from bottom-trawling fishing and dredging.
We urgently need to develop marine protected areas in the Antarctic region. Once established, one of the challenges will be enforcing the protected areas from the pirate fishing fleets.
The promotion of product labeling, which allows importers and consumers to recognise the products from well-managed fisheries, is another solution. The best example of this is the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
How you can help
Become an inventor
Fisheries bycatch is the leading threat to many endangered marine mammals, sea turtles and seabirds.
WWF and our partners created the International Smart Gear competition to inspire innovative, practical, cost-effective ideas that allow fisherman to "fish smarter" - to better target their intended catch while reducing bycatch.
The competition, with its USD$30,000 grand prize, is open to all - teachers, students, engineers, scientists, fishermen, professional gear manufacturers and backyard inventors. Visit Smart Gear for entry details.
Eat sustainable seafood
When you buy seafood look for the MSC label - products that carry the label are certified to come from well-managed fisheries.
When eating seafood at a restaurant, ask them if they have sustainable seafood options.
One restaurant that's taken up the challenge of serving sustainable seafood is Melbourne's SOS - they're one of the first eateries of its kind to offer a sustainable dining experience. We recently visited SOS to create a video podcast about the restaurant.
Happy Feet DVD promotion
You can also help support WWF's work, such as the Antarctica & Southern Ocean Initiative, by adopting an albatross.
Roadshow Entertainment have generously donated 5 Happy Feet packs, valued at over $100 each, for us to give away to the first 5 people to adopt an albatross before 31 May 2007.
Each pack includes a Happy Feet DVD, a Huggable Buddy and a mini plush set.
