Wwf Opposes Precarious Ocean Fertilization Project

摘要

The ecological effects of ocean fertilization are not fully known and a recent decision by the German government to give the go-ahead to a controversial large-scale ocean fertilization experiment (LOHAFEX) in international waters of the Southern Ocean has left the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) doubting Germany's commitment to global agreements on the environment. Last year, the meeting of the parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) imposed a moratorium on large-scale ocean fertilization experiments and commercial uses, only allowing for small-scale scientific research in coastal waters. Subsequently, the London Convention and Protocol (LC/LP), the global framework addressing ocean fertilization projects, urged its parties to use utmost caution with regard to scientific research proposals until further guidance is available. The CBD and LC have also urged their parties to carry out extensive environmental impact assessments (EIA) prior to giving the green light to such experiments.