Krill conservation urged

Gerald Leape director of The Pew Charitable Trusts' Antarctic Krill Conservation Project, writes:

" thanks to a combination of man-made climate change and increased fishing for krill - the bread and butter for many penguin species - these flightless birds are up against threats far greater than that posed by Magellan's hungry sailors.

The next few months may prove critical for the penguins, as a series of scientific conferences, culminating in an international policy meeting this fall, could make their lives easier - or perpetuate challenges for which millions of years of evolution never prepared them.

Over the next several months scientists and diplomats from many nations will hold a series of meetings, as policymakers prepare for the commission's annual gathering this fall. The Bush administration should ensure that the commission follows through on its pledge to implement its new polices for managing krill fishing."