A Call to Action to Protect Te Moana-tāpokopoko-a-Tāwhaki
Between Aotearoa New Zealand and Antarctica lies Te Moana-tāpokopoko-a-Tāwhaki, the Great Southern Ocean. It includes the Subantarctic Islands, the Ross Sea, and the World’s largest Marine Protected Area. But we urgently need international scientific cooperation that can support long-term protection of the region. Narrated by Tā Tipene O’Regan himself, this video is a call to action for our our national and international partners to work together in a Ross Sea Alliance to save one of the last wild places left to the Earth. Our vision for the Ross Sea Alliance is outlined in a recent paper we presented to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in July 2024.
The video was made to coincide with a visit by the German Foreign Minister to New Zealand and the signing of a new cooperation agreement in Antarctic research. Germany is one of six nations that maintain Antarctic stations in the Ross Sea region, the others being New Zealand, the USA, Italy, South Korea, and China.
The film, featuring wildlife, stunning vistas and Rewi Davis’s visit to the Scott Base Pou Whenua, was produced by Anthony ‘Antz’ Powell together with Regina Eisert and Colin Aitchison (SkyWorks) as part of the Murihiku ki Te Tonga programme of Murihiku Regeneration. We gratefully acknowledge Boxfish Research Ltd. and in particular our partner Heritage Expeditions. We also thank Antarctica NZ, the US Antarctic Programme, the Department of Conservation, the Ministry of Primary Industries and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Posted: 6 May 2024