CCAMLR

Argentina presents information collected by an air surveillance mission that it carried out on 6th March 2013, that included the area of the Antarctic Peninsula (Statistic Subarea 48.1) and in which it identified seven fishing vessels, all of them being CCAMLR-licenced vessels.

CCAMLR has made progress on addressing the recommendations from the 2008 Performance Review, but the process is still incomplete. ASOC has identified 14 incomplete recommendations that require further action from CCAMLR, SC-CAMLR, and other working groups. Most of these recommendations fall under the categories of Conservation and Management and Compliance and Enforcement, and are therefore critical items to implement. Fulfilment of all outstanding Performance Review recommendations will ensure CCAMLR’s continued leadership in the management of high-seas areas.

There are a number of steps that CCAMLR and its members can take to improve the governance and control of fishing vessels in the Southern Ocean and thereby enhance safety, ecosystem-based management and environmental protection. These include mandatory requirements for appropriate ice-strengthening and obtaining IMO numbers for all vessels, reports on all vessel incidents, and notification of Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCCs) when entering or leaving Search and Rescue (SAR) areas. Additionally, it would be valuable for CCAMLR to encourage the IMO to include fishing vessels in the Polar Code at the earliest opportunity. CCAMLR Members should also support efforts to bring the new Cape Town Agreement, replacing the Torremolinos Protocol, into force, which would improve fishing vessel safety globally.

For several years, ASOC has been calling for improved management of Antarctic krill fisheries by establishing feedback management procedures, improving monitoring through a strengthened CEMP program, and requiring 100% scientific observer coverage on board krill vessels among other issues. In this paper, ASOC urges CCAMLR to implement further protective measures to prevent excessive concentration of krill fishing in coastal areas close to predator colonies in Area 48. This is of particular relevance since fishing has been concentrating heavily in coastal areas lately. ASOC also calls on CCAMLR to continue to work towards strengthening the CEMP program, requiring mandatory reporting on green weight estimation methods, and obtaining 100% observer coverage on the krill fishing fleet.

This paper summarises some key principles to consider in the designation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Marine Reserves (MRs). These principles are derived from briefings produced by the Antarctic Ocean Alliance (AOA), an ASOC member. These briefings discuss the duration of MPAs and MRs, the application of the precautionary principle to MPAs and MRs and the designation of MPAs and MRs in the context of climate change. Additionally, CCAMLR’s opportunity to create a strong conservation legacy for future generations is highlighted. The Ross Sea and East Antarctic proposals are consistent with the provisions and practices of the CAMLR Convention, and offer appropriate precautionary, permanent, large-scale protection while allowing commercial fisheries to continue in some areas. By designating MPAs at CCAMLR XXXII, Members will demonstrate the leadership, vision and good stewardship that are critical for the long-term sustainability of the oceans.

Le présent document a pour but de clarifier le concept de « représentativité » dans la création d'aires marines protégées (AMP) et de passer en revue les discussions et accords des réunions de la CCAMLR relatifs à son application dans la désignation d'un système représentatif d'AMP dans l'océan Austral. En 2005, la CCAMLR a validé l'avis du Comité scientifique, selon lequel des aires représentatives, définies comme des « aires qui auraient pour but de fournir un système exhaustif, adéquat et représentatif d'AMP pour contribuer à la viabilité écologique à long terme des systèmes marins, maintenir les processus et systèmes écologiques et protéger la diversité biologique marine de l'Antarctique à tous les niveaux », contribueraient à servir les objectifs de la CCAMLR.

Le principe de représentativité vise à s'assurer que les différences dans des systèmes ou habitats spécifiques dans une région spécifique soient captées dans un système d'AMP. Un élément clé du processus de création d'un système représentatif d'AMP est l'identification d'aires de biodiversité représentatives au moyen d'analyses biogéographiques dans le cadre d'un processus de planification systématique de la conservation. La valeur de l'analyse biogéographique pour les AMP représentatives de l'océan Austral se reflète dans l'engagement pris par la CCAMLR envers la biorégionalisation, et cette analyse a par la suite sous-tendu l'ensemble du processus de développement d'AMP au sein de la CCAMLR. La CCAMLR a donc largement examiné et affiné le concept de représentativité au cours des 10 dernières années.