No resolution achieved during Antarctic Ocean sanctuary talks at CCAMLR

November 4, 2012

No resolution could be reached during the talks at the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), at Hobart in Australia. The commission is made up of 24 countries and the European Union.

What is CCAMLR?

Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) was established in 1982.
The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, also Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, and CCAMLR, is part of the Antarctic Treaty System.
Its aim is to conserve marine life in the face of rising demands to exploit krill, a shrimp-like creature which is an important source of food for species in the Antarctic.
The commission permits fishing carried out in a sustainable manner and takes account of the effects of fishing on other components of the ecosystem.
Headquartered in Tasmania, Australia.
CCAMLR is an international commission with 25 Members, and a further 10 countries have acceded to the Convention.
Based on the best available scientific information, the Commission agrees a set of conservation measures that determine the use of marine living resources in the Antarctic.

The key institutional components of CCAMLR are:

the CAMLR Convention which entered into force on 7 April 1982
a decision-making body, the Commission
a Scientific Committee which advises the
Commission using the best available science
Conservation measures and resolutions
CCAMLR’s Membership and provisions for international cooperation and collaboration
a Secretariat based in Hobart, Tasmania, that supports the work of the Commission.

What was the objective of the conference?

The conference was held to reach agreement on creating new marine sanctuaries to protect thousands of polar species across Antarctica. CCAMLR had been considering proposals for two critical areas in Antarctica’s Southern Ocean.
They included 1.6 million square km of protection for the Ross Sea, the world’s most intact marine ecosystem, and 1.9 million square km of coastal area in the East Antarctic, backed by Australia and the EU.

Who opposed the move?