Debate: Establishment of Antarctic Marine Protected Areas  and the conservation of Southern Ocean biodiversity
Date: WEDNESDAY, 7 JULY 2021
Speaker: Anže Logar
Language: EN

At the international level, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) is responsible for designating and regulating marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Southern Ocean. In 2009 it committed to the creation of a representative system of marine protected areas in its convention area by 2012. Unfortunately, to date this commitment has not yet been realised. Marine protected areas aim to encompass the full range of biodiversity present in the convention area, which covers the Southern Ocean. They aim to contribute to conserving the unique Antarctic ecosystem structure and function.  Marine protected areas make marine ecosystems more resilient in the fight against global climate change. Only two marine protected areas have so far been established in the South Orkney Islands in 2009 and the Ross Sea region in 2016. These are the world’s first high-seas MPAs and they are a powerful example of international cooperation.  The European Union and its Member States have been at the forefront of international efforts to advance the designation of MPAs in the framework of CCAMLR. Proposals to establish two new MPAs have been tabled, one in East Antarctica and another in the Weddell Sea. They are co-sponsored by Australia, Norway, the United Kingdom and Uruguay. These two proposals are based on the best available science as determined by the CCAMLR Scientific Committee. If these two new large-scale MPAs are approved, they would make an essential contribution to achieving a representative system of marine protected areas in Antarctica. They would cover an area of more than 3 million km2 and present a powerful response to the global biodiversity and climate crisis.  The proposals have been under discussion for years. With the aim of building support among CCAMLR members for their adoption, the European Union hosted a virtual high-level ministerial meeting in April. On this occasion the ministers and high-level representatives of Australia, France, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Italy, the United States, the UK, Norway, Uruguay, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina, and the European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, on behalf of the EU and its Member States, signed a joint declaration calling for the swift adoption of the two new proposals and welcoming other proposals on the establishment of additional MPAs. The ministerial meeting was a success insofar as the United States and New Zealand joined as the co-sponsors of the EU’s proposals.  Participants also expressed support for the proposal by Argentina and Chile to create a marine protected area in the Western Antarctic Peninsula. The EU and its Member States will continue to drive the process forward. The designation of new Antarctic marine protected areas is a concrete deliverable of both the EU’s biodiversity strategy 2030 and of the EU’s international ocean governance agenda. It would also be fully consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals and the ambitions set forth for the COP15 of the Convention on Biological Biodiversity that will take place during the Slovenian Presidency.  Before I conclude, allow me to point out that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty. Hopefully this will reveal the memory of the original intention behind multilateral cooperation in this area and facilitate timely adoption of the EU proposal aiming at the protection of the unique biodiversity of the Antarctic. Thank you very much for your attention.