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Failures and Opportunities - Marine Protected Areas and Antarctica

Quentin Hanich

Greenpeace Australia Pacific/Antarctic and Southern Coalition (ASOC), CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA

Theme: TH3

Antarctica and its surrounding oceans support a unique ecosystem, unusual in that it relies heavily upon one krill species, Euphausia superba. Two recent studies have shown declines in species of Antarctic fauna, believed to be due to the decreased availability of their krill prey. New developments occurring in the krill fishery, combined with the impacts of climate change, may pose large impacts upon the Antarctic ecosystem. Marine protected areas (MPAs) offer an important opportunity to mitigate these threats and protect foraging and breeding grounds of vulnerable species. Annex V of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty has provision for declaring Antarctic Specially Protected Areas over marine and terrestrial areas. If the protected area encompasses a marine area, the management plan must be approved by the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). MPAs have been developed for Australian national waters in the sub-Antarctic to protect conservation values threatened by fishing activities. One example, Heard Island, lies within CCAMLR's boundaries. Yet no MPAs have been declared within Antarctic waters. Instead, Antarctic Treaty members have relied upon CCAMLR to sustainably manage Antarctic waters. However, this arrangement has failed due to CCAMLR's inability to control fishing activities. This has resulted in unsustainable impacts upon target stocks and endangered species of seabirds. This systemic failure, combined with the current and potential impacts of climate change and fisheries expansion, may threaten populations of Antarctic fauna. Antarctic Treaty members should develop MPAs under the provisions of Annex V in order to protect Antarctic fauna and mitigate the impacts of fisheries management failures.