Foreword: polar oceans governance - an Antarctic perspective

When I was asked to write a foreword to this book, I was sitting in The Hague observing the case Australia had brought against Japan over whaling in the Antarctic. The case has pitched two competing world views on sustainable utilization of the marine environment; on protection of species; on science and its role in ocean management; and on, of course, the operation of international agreements and the interpretation of applicable law. Being asked to write this foreword gave me reason to pause and consider what it is about Antarctica and its Southern Ocean that sets it apart from the rest of the world, including the Arctic.