Statement of Clifton Curtis

Statement of Clifton Curtis, director, Antarctic Krill Conservation Project, on the start of the International Polar Year

Wellington - The International Polar Year (IPY) is a large scientific program, organized through the International Council for Science and the World Meteorological Organization, that focuses on Antarctic and Arctic research. Thousands of scientists from more than 60 countries will spend the next two years studying biological, physical and social issues impacting both polar regions.

“Research on Antarctic krill needs to be an important component of IPY projects. These small, shrimp-like creatures play a central role in the Antarctic marine ecosystem. Hundreds of species, including seals, penguins, albatrosses, petrels and whales, depend upon these tiny crustaceans for their survival. Remove this one vital link and the entire food web collapses.”

“The International Polar Year provides an exciting framework for carrying out a wide range of science projects, global public education efforts and other awareness raising initiatives involving a variety of research disciplines.”

“In the Antarctic, krill are not currently overfished, but troublesome signs loom on the horizon. Overexploitation, global warming and other ecosystem-related changes threaten the future of krill and the animals that prey upon them. The International Polar Year offers countless opportunities to break new ground and help ensure that abundant krill remain part of Antarctica’s long-term future.”

BACKGROUND

Krill, tiny shrimp-like crustaceans, are the “bread and butter” for the entire Southern Ocean ecosystem. But global warming threatens their future and hundreds of species that prey on them. Melting sea ice means reduced krill habitat, spawning and nursery areas. Increasing demand for krill and its byproducts, as well as more efficient catch and processing technologies, also contribute to mounting pressure for conservation-related reforms.

The Antarctic Krill Conservation Project is a growing network of organizations working together to promote krill conservation. The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and the National Environmental Trust comprise the core institutional partners for the project.

For more information on krill, pressures on krill abundance and needed reforms, go to www.krillcount.org

ENDS

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