The fragile ecosystem of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean While albatrosses and other seabirds are directly impacted by pirate fishing, very little is known about the impacts of the decimation of toothfish and sea birds on the rest of the delicately balanced Southern Ocean ecosystem.

The ocean surrounding Antarctica is perhaps the last true marine wilderness on the planet. The continent of Antarctica is covered by 90% of the world's ice, with an average thickness of about 2,300 metres. Permanent ice or snow covers some 95% of the landmass. The landmass and surrounding waters provide essential nutrients to the rest of the world's oceans, supporting life systems thousands of kilometres away from the South Pole.

The Antarctic marine ecosystem is biologically rich and diverse. Microscopic plankton are at the base of the food chain and are, in turn, eaten by vast shoals of small crustacea-like shrimps (krill) and a wide range of fish. Krill are food for penguins and other birds, seals and sea-lions, and even for many of the great whales. Of the 20,000 known species of fish in the world, only 120 live in the Southern Ocean. Throughout the past 40 million years they have adapted to the freezing conditions by developing a special 'antifreeze' component in their body fluids. Antarctic fish are especially vulnerable to overfishing because most species take a long time to become sexually mature and are long lived.

The productive marine environment also sustains a wide range of marine mammals - seals and whales - at far greater levels than are found in the Arctic region. The population of the crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophagus) alone accounts for about half of the world's seals with an estimated population of 12 million. Other fish-eating species include the Weddell seal, Ross seal (Ommatophoca rossii), Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) and the largest species of all, the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) -- adult males of which may weigh up to 2,200 kilograms. The predatory leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) feeds on penguins and young seals, but may also eat fish and krill.

The monarchs of the southern oceans, the great whales, are now formally protected from commercial whaling, but their numbers remain considerably depressed compared with years past. Many of the largest species, blue (Balaenoptera musculus), fin (B. physalus) and humpback (Megaptera novaengliae) whales, feed by filtering plankton from the surface waters using specialised horny plates (baleen) which hang from their upper jaws. Other species, such as the sperm whale (Physeter catodon), feed primarily on squid while the much smaller killer whales (Orcinus orca) frequently prey on seals and penguins. Minke whales are still killed under a so-called "scientific whaling" by Japan, despite a Southern Ocean whale sanctuary agreed by the world community in 1994.

More about Pirate Fishing:

Introduction - Modern-day pirates plunder ocean life
Dodging the rules: flag of convenience fishing
Governments recognise the pirate fishing problem...will they act to stop it?
Trouble ahead for pirate fishing talks!

Pirate Fishing in the Southern Ocean:
Introduction
CCAMLR - Governments are failing the toothfish and albatross
Consumers - Retailers begin to move away from toothfish and how you can help
Toothfish - Rapidly approaching commercial extinction
Albatross - How pirate fishing is devastating Albatross populations
Southern Ocean Expedition web site, 2000

Pirate Fishing in the Atlantic Ocean:
Atlantic - Pirate fishers plunder Atlantic tuna
Pirates Plunder the Atlantic
Eradicating Pirate Fishing: a study of the current status of tuna and tuna-like fish stocks in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean, May 2000 (pdf file, 91KB)
Atlantic Expedition web site, 2000