Walters Shoal expedition brief with IUCN
The expedition to Walters Shoal is a tremendous opportunity for us to expand our scientific knowledge and improve our understanding of the management needs to this large shallow bank, outside of national jurisdiction. IUCN strives to provide sound science to meet conservation needs. Our need to explore the planet is particularly great in areas beyond national jurisdiction. We know precious little of what is there and are very likely to make several new discoveries during this expedition. If we do not know what we have, how can we restore it when we wreck it?
Understanding the conservation status of Walters Shoal is another main objective of our work. The invaluable support from the French Government is at the heart of making this possible. We know that there has been a significant fishing pressure on this area, and the rules being so lax we will no doubt find damages to the ecosystems. Through this expedition we will have a much clearer view of what we need to do to conserve and manage this area and ensure that it will be there for future generations.
High seas conservation has made significant progress over the last decade, but we still have some way to go. We need to apply conservation tools that have been proven to work so well, closer to land. In particular we need to put in place marine protected areas that are properly enforced. Through the application on modern technologies like drones and satellites we can know what is happening in these remote areas, even without having a permanent human presence. This will significantly reduce management costs, but is premised on having a management regime in place that is universally agreed and properly resourced. Models for how this can be done are under way, and this expedition will help us to advance the way this can be done.
Finally I just want to congratulate out IUCN team for their great work putting this expedition together. Many difficult decisions have been made and many issues needed to be resolved. Thru our strong partnership with all our partners this has finally been possible. We anticipate a very rich and productive working experience on board of the Marion Dufresne to our French scientific project partners from MNHN and IRD. I wish everyone on board a wonderful end eventful journey, with surprizes and exciting new discoveries.