The Ross Sea region is an arbitrary political boundary rather than one that is relevant for the ecosystem, and do you know it? http://www.youtube.com/user/LastOceanNZ

The controversy about the Toothfish surrounds the facts that it is being fished in pristine seas to be shipped to the market in place of Chilean sea bass. The consequences are potentially destroying the Ross Sea ecosystem, the last intact marine ecosystem left on Earth. Unlike many other areas of the world’s oceans, the Ross Sea’s remains a virgin territory except for New Zealand’s fisheries reap lucrative profits from a long line and gaff.

The Toothfish remains an amazing species and have long been studied for their ability to produce anti-freeze proteins that keep their blood from crystallizing. Still today very little is known about their life cycle and distribution. But being top predators, they remain an important prey for a specific type of killer whale that feeds almost exclusively them.

The fight goes on….