CCAMLR

To improve observer safety, the United States proposes to add a provision to the text of the CCAMLR System of Scientific Observation (SISO) to require that observers be equipped with independent two-way satellite communication devices and personal lifesaving beacons.

Cooperation between the Scientific Committee of CCAMLR (SC-CAMLR) and the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) has been steadily increasing over the last few years to the mutual benefit of both. In order to avoid duplicate reporting between the two committees and following discussions between the Chairs of the CEP and SC-CAMLR, the report of the CEP meeting is presented to SC-CAMLR by the CEP Observer to SC-CAMLR and the report of the meeting of SC-CAMLR is presented to the CEP by the SC-CAMLR observer to the CEP.  An agreed standard reporting template, to be routinely followed by both committees, has also clarified and simplified the reciprocal reporting.  Accordingly, this report provides the CEP’s annual report to SC-CAMLR-XXXVII. 

Paragraph 3.81 of the report of the CCAMLR Spatial Management Workshop in 2018 recommended that the Scientific Committee consider the creation of an expert group to continue the development of MPAs in Planning Domains 5 and 6, using the model established for the D1MPA. It noted that not everyone involved in the proposed work was directly involved in the CCAMLR community and requested that mechanisms be developed to allow external experts to participate in the expert group.

This paper develops the Terms of Reference for the creation of this Expert Group.

Global threats to ocean biodiversity have generated a worldwide movement to take actions towards improved conservation and management. Several international targets have recommended the adoption of marine protected areas (MPAs) in national and international waters. While establishing MPAs in international waters has proven to be challenging in most of the world, national governments and the Commission for the Conservation of Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) have succeeded in adopting multiple MPAs in the Southern Ocean. But are these MPAs representative of Southern Ocean biodiversity and ecosystems? Here we examine the current status of Antarctic MPAs and future outlook, using existing benthic and pelagic bioregionalizations as a proxy for biodiversity. Currently about 9.9% of the Southern Ocean is protected in MPAs, with 3.9% being encompassed by no-take areas. While this is a relatively large proportion of protection when compared to other international waters, current Antarctic MPAs are not representative of all bioregions. Implementing additional protected areas, including those currently under negotiation, would move towards better representation of the Southern Ocean benthic and pelagic regions. Also, this assessment of representativeness was conducted on the basis of broad benthic and pelagic bioregionalizations, which generally use physical environmental data to delineate areas of likely-similar biodiversity. However, there may be variations in species pools and ecosystem structure between (or even within) ocean basins, and at a finer scale, than is reflected in the bioregions. Further analysis is needed, across multiple scales to help resolve where patterns of biodiversity exist and whether they are encompassed within existing and proposed MPAs.