Perreault Magazine - 77 -
Hope is a powerful virtue that both Mission Blue and the Ross family hold in our hearts as a means to protect what we care for. The Ross Sea is one of Sylvia Earle’s original ‘Hope Spots’ and my family crest carries the motto ‘Hope Lightens Difficulties.’ With the recent signing of the Climate Change Agreement, we can only hope that the same global consensus is applied when CCAMLR convene in October so they finally grant marine protection. It would be a spectacular climax to the 175th anniversary as the decision will be close to the time James first set sail. I very much hope to be around to return for the 200th anniversary in the year 2041—an auspicious time since it’s the same year the Antarctic Treaty comes up for renewal. If we don’t step up now, nature will have the last word.
The Ross Sea’s pristine ecosystem could soon be lost to industrial fishing. But if 24 countries agree, the Ross Sea could be safeguarded from this threat by becoming the world’s largest marine protected area. Twenty-three countries are onboard, but one isn’t: Russia. Sign this petition to urge Russia to protect the Ross Sea.
Courtesy Philippa Ross