The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) is recognised as a pioneer in the development of the 'ecosystem approach' to the management of marine living resources. Management using an ecosystem approach does not concentrate solely on species fished, but also attempts to avert situations where fisheries have a significant negative impact on 'dependent and related species'. CCAMLR strives to develop management approaches which incorporate assessments of the ecosystem and its dynamics. In applying this ecosystem approach, CCAMLR has had to deal with the difficulty of describing the full complexity of marine ecosystems by focusing on key Antarctic marine species which are known to be most important in the food chain. CCAMLR's Management of the Antarctic presents a clear and concise description of CCAMLR's diverse and complex work regarding the management of Antarctic marine living resources. It is based on Understanding CCAMLR's Approach to Management which was published on CCAMLR's website at in 2000. Written by several prominent scientists, this latter work was edited by Dr Karl-Hermann Kock (Germany, Chair of the CCAMLR Scientific Committee 1993-1996), and details the development and application of a precautionary and ecosystem approach to the management of Antarctic marine living resources. It is recommended for further reading. The initial draft of CCAMLR's Management of the Antarctic was prepared by Ms Vivienne Mawson, the scientific editor appointed by the Editorial Committee, and was finalised by Dr Denzil Miller (South Africa, CCAMLR Scientific Committee Chair 1997-2000). The cover photograph and design were provided by the Multimedia Unit at the Australian Antarctic Division.