148,367 of 175,000 signatures

To Chancellor Merkel, President Macron, Minister for Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas, High Representative of the EU Mogherini and President of the European Council, Donald Tusk

Petition

Take a global stand to save wilderness habitats for penguins, whales and other precious species. Use upcoming global high level discussions to secure support for a network of protection in the waters around Antarctica - including the East Antarctic and the Weddell Sea.

Why is this important?

Only two baby penguins from an Antarctic colony survived, out of 18 thousand which recently hatched. The others starved to death because their food supplies have been devastated by industrial fishing. The food chain in the Antarctic has been disturbed by extensive fishing of krill, and many animals don’t get enough nourishment to survive.

In this instance, France, Germany and the European Union have proved to be world leaders in animal protection. They’ve proposed and backed the creation of areas closed for industrial fishing: marine sanctuaries around the Antarctic. [1]

There could be a sanctuary in the Antarctic Ocean, a huge space where any fishing will be prohibited. It would allow for the replenishment of krill, a key element of the Antarctic ecosystem – and the food penguins eat. [3]

The krill doesn’t only constitute penguin food. By eating the plankton, they also capture the carbon dioxide from the sea surface and store it in the sea depths where they excrete waste. Thus, the krill protect the entire Earth from the results of the climate change. [4] It is crucial for us to stop the overfishing of krill.

Krill fishing has been a fast-growing industry. The latest fishing technology allows ‘suction’ harvesting of krill by large trawlers. This technology contributed to the rapid decline of the krill population, estimated to have declined as much as 80% since the 1970s. [5] We must stop the harvesters from entering parts of the Antarctic.

EU leaders Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron, the President of the European Council Donald Tusk, and the EU’s head of diplomacy, Federica Mogherini, - or their delegates - are taking part in important international meetings where these topics will be raised. They play key roles in the negotiation around the Antarctic sanctuaries – not least because these are their own proposals. Tusk and Mogherini could leave behind a wonderful legacy, and become ocean heroes before their terms in Brussels end, very soon.

If we, as their electorate, come together to strengthen our leaders’ position in the negotiations, we can pressure them to make the creation of the sanctuary a priority.

References:

https://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/assets/2017/07/gpc_a_network_of_marine_protected_areas_in_the_southern_ocean.pdf
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/10/28/world/science-health-world/russia-china-block-creation-antarctic-marine-sanctuary/#.W59p2PYwg2w
http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/wildlife/animals/krill
https://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/assets/2017/07/gpc_a_network_of_marine_protected_areas_in_the_southern_ocean.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/14/decline-in-krill-threatens-antarctic-wildlife-from-whales-to-penguins

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148,367

of 175,000 signatures

Recent comments

John

This is serious, if we don't act to stop the over-fishing then Antarctic penguins and other creatures will totally die out.

Dash

penguins are da best

Mingo

Penguins are great ,and it would be a shame if they went extinct. ❤️🐧

John

We desperately need to protect this important area and ecosystem. Protect all the wildlife that call it home. We can't live on a dead planet.

Jane

i love penguins so much

John

Industrial fishing must not be allowed to destroy the seas. Apart from the fact that they are stabbing themselves in the foot, they are destroying their own industry. We need sea sanctuaries so that nature can recover before it's too late.

Felix

Penguins are wonderful creatures and deserve better. 🐧🎩

Alexane

We are responsible for what's happening, we must repair what's done, give them a better future, give us a better future.

NISHKA

Because now penguins are endangered and they need our help .

Broc

why is this Important to you?

zach

Penguin cute

Crystal

becuse we needto help them!

John

It,s so important that we stop destroying our home planet. We need more sea sanctuaries.

rod

We are not entitled to destroy animal life, and we have no right to reduce the quality of life for our children.

Gillie

These little babies need to be saved!!

Gillie

These little babies need to be saved!!

Janet

Penguins are unique animals managing to live in vy difficult areas & should be helped to survive.

Iris

Penguins are vital to the ecology of the Antarctic and other southern sites. We should not allow them to be destroyed by human activities particularly those which deprive them of food. Only by making the Antarctic Ocean a sanctuary can this be achieved.

Patricia

Wildlife is precious. It should be protected.

Susan

It’s tragic that these poor babies are dying in their thousands because of human greed.

Helen

Penguins are important to the whole eco system of the area.

Heather

Antarctica needs to be protected against future exploitation.

Irene

All life should be important. What or who gives us the right to decide who lives and who dies and we are SUPPOSED to be the most intelligent species??

Lucy

Because despite evolutionary survival instinct, they still need our help

Penelope

Once again man's needs, greed and lack of caring has made a huge impact on marine life animals, amongst many other species. It makes me feel heart-broken and so frightened of what lies ahead for our children, their children and our world. How can we be so selfish as to be driven mostly, by greed and money - lack of caring, being selfish. Yes, people have to survive too but I cannot help feeling that most of the damage to our planet, it's beautiful animals, forests, seas and, well, everything being damaged, is driven by greed for money and lack of caring. I, like many others cannot bear it but will it ever change? Methinks not, as it has been ever thus. Humans eat meat and fish, on the whole and that is understandable, perhaps, as we too are animals but it is so sad that we take everhthing to the extreme. As much as I try to be mindful f all of the above, I too, am guilty of eating meat (makes me so sad to even think of it), for health reasons i.e. blood and yes, meat is tasty as long as one doesn't think about it while eating it, but that also makes me feel extra guilty. All I can say is that we must take care or them and all nature - give them good lives for as long as we can. We are animals too and we don't like cruel and hard lives.

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Penguins need us to protect their habitat! Donald Tusk (President of the European Council) can help make this happen: let’s flood him with thousands of tweets telling him he needs to turn his words into action and ensure marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean are on the agenda at the next G7 meeting! He has the power to prevent another mass loss of life.

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Dear Donald Tusk,

Now that you are coming to the end of your term as President of the European Council, wouldn’t you like to be remembered as a President who played a major role in mitigating the climate crisis and biodiversity loss; as a President who used his power to save the lives of thousands of animals?

Here is your chance. You have voiced your support for creating an Antarctic sanctuary before, now the world needs you to turn your words into action and bring this issue to the table at the upcoming G7 meeting. You can use your influence to ensure that creating an Antarctic sanctuary is on the agenda and convince other leaders to make it a reality.

Creating a sanctuary would not only protect the thousands of penguins starving to death due to overfishing, but it would also benefit many other species, including our own, by strengthening efforts to combat climate change and biodiversity loss.

As a European citizen, I ask you to represent my voice when you speak at the next G7 meeting: we are depending on you to make sure that the Antarctic sanctuary becomes a reality.

Thank you very much for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Send a message to the President of the European Council now

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Please can you chip in?

Antarctic penguins are starving to death. The krill-fishing industry is devastating penguins’ food sources, destroying Antarctica, and speeding up global warming. We urgently need an international effort to make world leaders act.

Will you chip in a few euros each month so that our community can keep organising and pressuring EU leaders on issues crucial for our environment – in Europe and beyond?

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Thank you for standing for environmental sustainability and responsibility with our community. It is only together that we can truly be a force to be reckoned with.

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Save baby Antarctic penguins from starvation!

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Save baby Antarctic penguins from starvation!