CCAMLR

The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) was approved by the 195 member governments (including all CCAMLR Member governments) at the IPCC's 51st Session (IPCC-51) in September 2019 in Monaco. The SROCC constitutes the most rigorous and up-to-date assessment of how the ocean and cryosphere are changing, how they will change in the future under different climate change scenarios, the consequences of those changes, and the potential and limitations of various response options. In this paper, we summarise the findings of the SROCC with relevance to CCAMLR’s Scientific Committee and its Working Groups, particularly Ecosystem Monitoring and Management (WG-EMM) and Fish Stock Assessment (WG-FSA). We focus on Southern Ocean harvested species and on associated and dependent species, and also include information relevant for CCAMLR’s Ecosystem Monitoring Programme (CEMP). Findings from this report can be used to inform CCAMLR’s discussion of possible future monitoring and management actions in the context of climate change impacts on Southern Ocean ecosystems and fisheries, with the aim of ensuring that management is responsive to the effects of change.

As highlighted during the Commission meeting in 2019 (CCAMLR-39, paragraphs 6.6 to 6.14), the designation of a Special Area for Scientific Study under Conservation Measure 24-04 adjacent to Pine Island Glacier would be appropriate and timely. This is an area of significant interest for research on benthic ecology and evolution, past climate, bathymetric controls on glacier calving events, and oceanographic drivers of ice loss. The designation of a Stage 2 SASS would facilitate and encourage such research to be undertaken in this region.

With the information provided in this paper, supplementary to the requirements of CM 24-04, we have addressed the request for further details information set out by the Commission in CCAMLR-38, paragraph 6.13. We encourage Members to review this information and to proceed towards the designation of this area as a Stage 2 Special Area for Scientific Study, in accordance with the provisions of Conservation Measure 24-04.