Russia arrests Ukrainian biologist for backing curbs on Antarctic krill fishing

2 comments

1. **Submission Statement**: This article is about Russia arresting the Ukrainian biologist, Leonid Pshenichnov, for “treason” due to his research being used to advocate for limits on the fishing of Antarctic krill. The krill are a key source of food for penguins, whales, and seals. Overfishing of this animal can lead to ecological collapse and this year the amount of krill fished in Antarctic waters has reached an unsustainable level for the first time.

2. Excerpts from the article

   > Leonid Pshenichnov, 70, a Ukrainian biologist who is an expert on Antarctica, has a decades-long record of scientific research and contributions to conservation, including support for marine protected areas in the region.

   > He was preparing to travel to Australia to attend a conference on protecting Antarctic marine life when he was arrested in the Russian-occupied territory of Crimea. He has since been accused by the Russians of high treason.

   > …

   > CCAMLR, an international commission with 27 members established by convention in 1982, is about to discuss whether to create a marine protected area (MPA) around the Antarctic Peninsula to protect krill, the small crustacean that is one of the bases of the food chain in the Southern Ocean.

   > China and Russia, which have blocked the creation of MPAs in the region for decades, have been accused by analysts and conservationists of working together to loosen restrictions on fishing for krill. This year, for the first time, the amount of krill fished in Antarctic waters reached what scientists believe is an unsustainable level.

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