The flags of twenty-five Members are again flying on Macquarie Street, Hobart, as CCAMLR welcomes 200 marine scientists, natural resource managers, marine policy makers and diplomats. Experts from around the world will meet from Monday 8 October to Thursday 1 November to hold a series of scientific and policy discussions that mark the 31st annual meetings of the Commission.

This year CCAMLR’s meetings will concentrate on establishing a representative system of marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean. Over the last seven years, CCAMLR’s Members have identified several regions of the Southern Ocean that warrant high levels of protection. These important areas can provide a reference for scientific research on the impacts of activities such as fishing, as well as significant opportunities for monitoring the impacts of climate change in the Southern Ocean.