ACEAS Seminar Series - Presented by Dr Steve Parker

Title: The evolving key science needs of CCAMLR

Abstract: The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) is an international agreement established to conserve Antarctic marine living resources and is an integral part of the Antarctic Treaty System. The Convention applies to all marine living resources within the Antarctic marine ecosystem. CCAMLR applies precautionary ecosystem approaches to management which include consideration of ecosystem impacts in setting precautionary catch limits and monitoring of harvested resources and the wider ecosystem. CCAMLR has made significant progress on issues such as seabird mortality associated with fishing, illegal fishing for toothfish, minimizing impacts to vulnerable marine ecosystems, establishing high-seas MPAs, stock assessment of remote deepwater species, and precautionary management approaches for krill. The Convention has been in effect for forty-two years. During that period, the management issues and therefore information demands have evolved, with the focus moving from precautionary harvest to monitoring and managing stressors on ecosystems driven by climate change and fishing. This presentation will summarise CCAMLR’s ecosystem approach to management and frame the upcoming scientific challenges and opportunities in applying an ecosystem approach in the Convention Area.