CCAMLR

Climate change has emerged as an important topic in Antarctic research over the past decade, but little in the way of policy or operational change has resulted at CCAMLR. Over the past 50 years major alterations of the ecological workings of the Southern Ocean have been underway. These changes are accelerating as time passes, including regional changes in sea ice persistence and extent. The Western Antarctic Peninsula has warmed more than four times faster than the average rate of Earth’s overall warming making it the region that is experiencing the most rapid warming on the planet: Future reductions in sea ice will be among the most immediate changes, and likely will lead to major alteration in the distribution and abundance of those species whose natural history patterns are closely tied to sea ice. "The uncertainty in climate predictions leads to uncertainty in projections of impacts, but increases in temperatures and reductions in winter sea ice would undoubtedly affect the reproduction, growth and development of some keystone fish species such as silverfish and toothfish (or high Antarctic fish species) and Antarctic krill (Cheung et al., 2008), as well as changing the habitat characteristics of many co-occurring and dependent species." To date, at the last CCAMLR meeting the Commission requested the Scientific Committee to provide advice on the issue of climate change. The Scientific Committee needs to increase its work on climate change impacts in order to consider the consequences of a range of scenarios. One of the most important aspects is to identify ways by which climate change impacts can be distinguished from fishing effects, on which the SC requested advice from the Working Group on Ecosystem Management and Monitoring. ASOC requests Members to adopt a Resolution acknowledging the various adverse impacts of climate change on the Southern Ocean, to pledge to apply a highly precautionary approach to management in the context of the unknowns of climate change, and to include in this approach the establishment in the next few years of a network of Marine Protected Areas of ecologically significant size as refuges where species can best adapt to climate change without confounding pressures from fishing mortality.

In this paper ASOC makes the case for CCAMLR to move swiftly to begin the process of designating networks of comprehensive, adequate and representative marine protected areas including marine reserves in the Southern Ocean. Recent progress on the global agenda to implement of marine protected areas on the high seas is discussed to inform and spur action. This process should be informed by extensive information from within CCAMLR, the Madrid Protocol and other international bodies to inform decisions on which criteria should be used to designate networks of marine protected areas with representativeness being the key criteria. The outcomes of the 2007 CCAMLR Bioregionalisation Workshop provide sufficient biogeographical framework for the process to move forward using the precautionary approach and begin designating networks of representative marine protected areas.

Lack of adequate governance of the high seas areas has resulted in the continued degradation of ocean and marine habitats. Ȁ e ecosystem approach, which comprises integrated, precautionary management policies, can be an important tool to reverse this situation. CCAMLR was a pioneer in the incorporation of an ecosystem approach to the conservation and management of marine living resources, and continues to be a leader in its implementation. Ȁ rough its actions at scientific, institutional and compliance levels, it has attempted to balance conservation objectives with the maintenance of commercial fisheries. CCAMLR has many achievements in this regard, but needs to face new challenges posed by the expansion of fisheries, including illegal, unre-ported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, if it is not to abandon the core conservation principles embodied in the Antarctic Treaty. Other regional fishery bodies that have committed themselves to incorporating the ecosystem approach in their regimes can learn important lessons from CCAMLR’s successes and also from its difficulties. Incorporating the ecosystem approach is an ambitious goal, but one that can contribute significantly to ocean governance.

In this paper, ASOC draws CCAMLR’s attention to the most pressing issues in relation to the ecosystem-based management of the krill fishery, including the adoption of a conservation measure that ensures systematic scientific observer coverage, the development of a coordinated research plan to address key scientific uncertainties at the SSMU level in Area 48, and the consideration of feedback management approaches in this Area as soon as possible. In addition, ASOC maintains that CCAMLR should take precautionary measures to prevent concentration of catches in coastal areas as the fishery approaches the interim catch limit in Subareas 48.1-48.4, and that a standardized method for green weight krill catch reporting should be developed and required.

Under Conservation Measure 41-01 (Annex C - Tagging Program for Dissostichus spp. in Exploratory Fisheries), the flag States of fishing vessels participating in exploratory fisheries are responsible for ensuring the tagging of Dissostichus spp., tag recovery and correct reporting. At CCAMLR XXVI (2007), “the Commission requested the Secretariat to annually prepare and submit a table for SCIC’s consideration containing data on individual Dissostichus spp. tagged and released, and the tagging rate reported by vessels operating in the exploratory fisheries” (CCAMLR-XXVI Report, paragraph 8.12). It is expected that the data will be made available to SCIC at this year’s meeting. Australia undertook an assessment of compliance with the CCAMLR tagging program based on information contained in the Fish Stock Assessment Report 2007 and discovered a high level of non-compliance. The lack of reliable information can affect stock assessments and therefore impact on the ability of the Commission to meet its objectives of conserving marine living resources. Australia considers that non-compliance with research obligations is a significant issue and should be considered further by the Commission, including adopting appropriate and proportionate mechanisms to ensure compliance.

Australia is encouraged by the willingness of Members to support the orderly and precautionary development of the krill fishery as it continues to expand. Currently Contracting Parties as well as Members are able to participate in krill fisheries. This is different to the approach taken by the Commission for new and exploratory fisheries as only Members can participate in these fisheries. To ensure a consistent approach to the management of CCAMLR fisheries (which CCAMLR is currently seeking to achieve) and the best regulation possible to achieve the orderly and precautionary development of the krill fishery, Australia recommends that Conservation Measure 21-03 be amended so that it only applies to Members.