Right now, people are going on Facebook to check in to the Weddell Sea in the Antarctic to tell their friends just how incredible and precious this part of the world is and why this vast area needs protecting.
Greenpeace crew visit the Antarctic peninsula © Daniel Beltrá / Greenpeace
Chances are, when you usually scroll through Facebook, you’ll see a friend checking in to a hotel to brag about their holiday, or a family member checking in to a fancy restaurant. But what if we use it to highlight a place that most of us have never been to and may never get the chance to visit, but somewhere we all know needs protecting?
This year we have the chance to create an ocean sanctuary in the Antarctic. If created, it would be the biggest protected area on Earth. A sanctuary would create a safe haven for penguins, whales, and seals and put the waters off-limits to industrial fishing vessels which are sucking up tiny krill, which almost all life in the Antarctic depends on.
Fishing vessels are putting profit before the planet by fishing ever closer to penguin colonies, pushing further into fragile parts of the Antarctic where whales feed. But if enough people check in to the Antarctic, we can help push these vessels out of their feeding waters.
If thousands of us check in to the Weddell Sea, many more of our friends, family and colleagues will see just how precious the Antarctic is. Conversations will start, and even more people will be inspired to protect what belongs to all of us.
Here’s how to ‘check in’ in 3 easy steps
Step 1 – When you’re logged into Facebook – click ‘check in’
Step 2 – Search for the Weddell Sea and click on it.
Step 3 – Write a comment and hit post
It would be great if you could tell your friends why you want to see the Antarctic protected. Even better, would be if you posted a link to the petition to Protect the Antarctic, so even more people can join the campaign. Here’s a link you could share: www.protecttheantarctic.org
That’s it, you’ve joined loads of other people from around the globe to show the world why the Antarctic needs protecting. Thank you!
Aakash Naik is a digital campaigner for the Antarctic