Antarctica Revisited
A follow up from the 38th Meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, which took place in January 2020.
In January 2020, Trade-a-Boat (Issue 523) reported on the outcome of the 38th Meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), and the fate of a proposal for the establishment of the East Antarctic Marine Protected Area (EAMPA) covering almost one million square kilometres of Antarctic waters.
The proposal, co-sponsored by Australia, France and the European Union, failed for the eighth time straight, despite endorsement by the CCAMLR’s Scientific Committee and the support of a majority of member states.
Under CCAMLR rules, MPA proposals require a unanimous ‘yes’ vote by all 26 members, but consensus had been consistently stymied by economic imperatives and geopolitical dynamics at the highest levels. The most vocal opponents were China and Russia, citing a variety of concerns including insufficiency of scientific data, the language of specific regulations and geopolitical manoeuvring by other states.
Through what appeared to be yet another triumph of self-interest over compelling science, the Commission’s failure to achieve consensus drew trenchant criticism from international environment groups and raised doubts about the peak body’s credibility.
Since then, Norway and Uruguay have joined as co-sponsors of the EAMPA proposal and hopes were high for its success at the Commission’s 39th Meeting in Hobart in October 2020.
Unfortunately, global disruptions and travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced the meeting to be conducted by video-conference, which was plagued by technical difficulties that consumed valuable time and shortened the proceedings. As a result, none of the three MPA proposals — in East Antarctica, the Antarctic Peninsula and the Weddell Sea — was put to a vote and all have been stood over for another year.
Despite this lack of progress, some observers remain optimistic for the ultimate success of the proposals. Antarctic explorer and environmental scientist Tim Jarvis AM said, “Support continues to build and it's now just a matter of time until these urgently-needed Antarctic marine parks become a reality.”
Mr Jarvis believes that Australia's leadership will be essential in driving the diplomatic push needed to secure the backing of all member nations.
In a strongly worded statement at the meeting, the Australian delegate said, “Moving forward it is critical that as a Commission we continue to develop, promote and support measures that fulfil CCAMLR’s conservation objective. This Commission has an obligation to ensure the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources. We have a range of critical issues that we must address next year. These issues cannot wait.”
Whether these hopes and aspirations become reality remains to be seen. The next meeting of the CCAMLR is scheduled for 18–29 October 2021.