World Wildlife Fund news - protecting sub-Antarctica

The South African government has announced it will create a vast protected area around the remote Prince Edward Islands in the Southern Ocean – and WWF is taking a lead in providing technical and management advice.

At 180,000km2, the Prince Edward Islands region will become one of the biggest Marine Protected Areas in the world. It’s an environmental achievement of global importance, which will help protect a suite of spectacular wildlife. WWF’s director general, Jim Leape, says: "South Africa has made a globally significant commitment to our oceans."South Africa plays a key role – along with countries such as Australia, France, UK and New Zealand – in protecting the amazing biodiversity and commercially important fisheries of the sub-Antarctic."

Located almost 2000km south of Cape Town, in the Southern Ocean, the islands are home to:

• 450,000 King penguins (and two other penguin species)

• 33% of the world’s sub-Antarctic Fur Seals (and two other types of seal)

• 44% of all Wandering Albatrosses (and four more kinds of albatross)

• 14 species of petrel

The islands have been threatened by illegal and irresponsible fishing practices in the past – for instance vessels targeting Patagonian toothfish have often killed albatross as bycatch.

Wildlife Discovery Voyages in the Antartic region - click here