In 1982, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Living Resources (CCAMLR) was established to conserve Antarctic marine life. After concluding its 39th annual meeting this year, some environmentalist organizations expressed concern about the limited agenda and failure to address the impacts of global warming.
The New Zealand government presented to the Commission evidence of illegal fishing by Russia's Fishing Vessel Palmer in the protected Ross Sea. However, the CCAMLR decided not to add the vessel to their illegal, unregulated, and unreported vessels. Moreover, Palmer received no punishment and will continue to illegally fish in the Southern Ocean.
Claire Christian of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition said that the virtual meeting's "limited agenda was troubling and resulted in yet another year passing when CCAMLR failed to address climate change impacts or establish a network of marine protected areas in its waters." The coalition is composed of at least 15 non-government organizations that advocate environmental protection of the Antarctic. Since 1978, they have promoted how important it is to conserve the Southern Ocean with a wide range of species such as penguins, birds, and marine life.
Protecting the Last Ocean
The Ross Sea is the world's largest marine reserve which received international protection in October 2016. The 598,000 square mile area has a complex ecosystem ranging from krill to whales. It is also referred to as the "Last Ocean" because most of it has remained untouched by human activity.
Marine biologist Enric Sala of the Pristine Seas project said that the Ross Sea is the Serengeti of Antarctica, a place full of wildlife. It is a rare place "where humans are only visitors and large animals rule." However, Palmer's illegal fishing activity threatens the protected species.
Andrea Kavanagh of The Pew Charitable Trusts said, "Overall, the failure of global leadership to protect this critical ecosystem is deeply concerning." It is expected of the CCAMLR to easily establish new marine protected areas (MPA) during the meeting.
Since 1948, The Pew Charitable Trusts was established to use knowledge to solve global challenges ranging from the environment to health, arts, and culture. Out of all their research focus groups, the organization's majority of international projects fall under conservation.
Establishing Marine Protected Areas
Due to climate change, the Antarctic has become one of the fastest-warming regions in the world. After the meeting, Kavanagh said that the CCAMLR missed the opportunity to add 1% of the ocean under their protection. Establishing just one new MPA would be a significant step towards the goal of protecting 30% of oceans by 2030.
During the meeting, it was proposed for MPAs to be expanded in the Southern Ocean. Several countries supported the Wendell Sea MPA while Norway and Uruguay proposed the protection of East Antarctica. The European Union also endorsed the importance of MPAs in the region, gaining support from nations such as Brazil and Korea.
By next year, advocate groups hope to establish a network of MPAs around Antarctica. Kavanagh said that despite the limited agenda of the CCAMLR, she remains confident that they can achieve the major milestone of establishing designated MPAS in the Southern Ocean.
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