The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, also known as the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, and CCAMLR, is part of the
Antarctic Treaty System
russian: link=no, Договор об Антарктике es, link=no, Tratado Antártico
, name = Antarctic Treaty System
, image = Flag of the Antarctic Treaty.svgborder
, image_width = 180px
, caption ...
.
The convention was opened for signature on 1 August 1980 and entered into force on 7 April 1982 by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, headquartered in
Tasmania
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, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
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Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. The goal is to preserve
marine life
Marine life, sea life, or ocean life is the plants, animals and other organisms that live in the salt water of seas or oceans, or the brackish water of coastal estuaries. At a fundamental level, marine life affects the nature of the planet. M ...
and environmental integrity in and near
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
.
It was established in large part to concerns that an increase in
krill
Krill are small crustaceans of the order Euphausiacea, and are found in all the world's oceans. The name "krill" comes from the Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in n ...
catches in the
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is regarded as the second-small ...
could have a serious impact on populations of other marine life which are dependent upon krill for food.
In 1989, CCAMLR set up the
Ecosystem Monitoring Program (CEMP) to further monitor the effects of fishing and harvesting of species in the area.
On 19 October 2022,
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
became a New Member of the Commission, the 26th member of the CCAMLR.
Member states
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
In 2009, the Commission agreed by
consensus to creating a representative network of
MPAs by 2012. It was the first international body to do this based on recommendations from the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
World Summit on Sustainable Development. In 2011, it identified nine planning domains within which to designate these protected areas.
South Orkneys MPA
In 2009, the Commission agreed by
consensus to establish the world's first
high-seas MPA
MPA or mPa may refer to:
Academia
Academic degrees
* Master of Performing Arts
* Master of Professional Accountancy
* Master of Public Administration
* Master of Public Affairs
Schools
* Mesa Preparatory Academy
* Morgan Park Academy
* Mou ...
to protect ocean surrounding the
South Orkney Islands in the south
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
.
It was proposed by the United Kingdom and covers 94,000 km2. It came into force in May 2010.
Ross Sea MPA
In 2010, a proposal for an MPA in the
Ross Sea
The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica, between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land and within the Ross Embayment, and is the southernmost sea on Earth. It derives its name from the British explorer James Clark Ross who ...
were put forward by both the US and New Zealand. These were later combined as a joint proposal.
In July 2013, the Commission held a special meeting in
Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven (, , Low German: ''Bremerhoben'') is a city at the seaport of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany.
It forms a semi-enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the Riv ...
to consider proposals for MPAs in both the Ross Sea and East Antarctica. Consensus was not reached after
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
voted against the proposals, citing uncertainty about whether the commission had the authority to establish a protected area.
On 28 October 2016, after several years of scientific and diplomatic discussions, the Commission agreed by
consensus to designate the Ross Sea marine protected area at its annual meeting in
Hobart
Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...
. The protected area covers 1.55 million square kilometers of ocean, of which 72% is a no-take zone. The remaining 28% include some harvesting of fish and krill for the purpose of scientific research.
The Ross Sea MPA will be in force for 35 years. At the end of its review period in 2052, CCAMLR Members must agree by consensus to renew or modify it as needed.
East Antarctic MPA
In 2010,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
submitted a proposal for an MPA in East Antarctica. It originally included seven representative areas with varying degrees of protection and covered 1.8 million square kilometers of ocean. By 2017, these were scaled back to three areas covering just under 1 million square kilometres. This was due to the political concerns and economic interests expressed by some Member states. The proposal was also amended to include an expiration of 30 years after designation and the ability to review its monitoring and management every ten years. It has been under consideration by the Commission since 2012.
References
{{reflist
External links
Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living ResourcesCCAMLR Convention text
Antarctica agreements
Cold War treaties
Environmental treaties
Fisheries treaties
Treaties concluded in 1980
Treaties entered into force in 1982
1982 in Antarctica
Environment of Antarctica
1982 in the environment
Treaties of Argentina
Treaties of Australia
Treaties of Belgium
Treaties of Brazil
Treaties of Bulgaria
Treaties of Canada
Treaties of Chile
Treaties of the People's Republic of China
Treaties of the Cook Islands
Treaties of Finland
Treaties of France
Treaties of West Germany
Treaties of Greece
Treaties of India
Treaties of Italy
Treaties of Japan
Treaties of South Korea
Treaties of Mauritius
Treaties of Namibia
Treaties of the Netherlands
Treaties of New Zealand
Treaties of Norway
Treaties of Pakistan
Treaties of Peru
Treaties of Panama
Treaties of the Polish People's Republic
Treaties of the Soviet Union
Treaties of South Africa
Treaties of Spain
Treaties of Sweden
Treaties of Ukraine
Treaties of the United Kingdom
Treaties of the United States
Treaties of Uruguay
Treaties of Vanuatu
Treaties entered into by the European Union
Treaties of East Germany
Animal treaties
Intergovernmental organizations established by treaty
International organisations based in Australia