CCAMLR

This paper examines the obligations upon the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties (ATCPs) in respect of marine protected areas (MPAs) and some legal and administrative reasons why these two groups need to co-operate in the establishment and implementation of MPAs in the Southern Ocean. It also examines the current process for declaring MPAs in the areas of application of the Antarctic Treaty and the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (the Convention) and suggests improvements, including the adoption of a "southern geographic reference line", to ensure the interactions between the Parties to those Agreements follow a mutually agreed, timely and efficient process.

In subarea 48.3 mackerel icefish (Champsocephalus gunnari) are currently assessed by a bottom trawl survey, but evidence from predators and acoustics indicates that a considerable portion of the icefish biomass is in midwater and therefore missed by the bottom trawl survey. In January 2004, a short acoustic survey on FPRV Dorada showed that mackerel icefish, of all age classes, spend time in midwater and reinforced the evidence that a bottom trawl survey significantly underestimates biomass. An acoustic survey has the potential to give a better estimate of icefish biomass, however acoustic methods need to be developed to distinguish between krill and icefish and to improve target strength estimates of icefish.