This paper reports further recent changes to the Pine Island Glacier (Amundsen Sea, Subarea 88.3). The 22% reduction in the glacier’s spatial extent means that the newly-exposed marine area has been established as a Stage 1 Special Area for Scientific Study (SASS) in accordance with Conservation Measure 24-04. We provide additional information to that included in COMM CIRC 21/76, and encourage the Scientific Committee and the Commission to review this information and to proceed towards the designation of this area as a Stage 2 SASS.

In accordance with Conservation Measure (CM) 10-10, paragraph 2(i), and the procedure detailed in COMM CIRC 21/80, the Secretariat has prepared the Summary CCAMLR Compliance Report (Summary Report) based on the Draft CCAMLR Compliance Reports (Draft reports), responses received from Contracting Parties, and Contracting Parties’ suggested preliminary compliance status. The Draft reports identified 77 potential issues in the implementation of conservation measures across 13 conservation measures and 20 Contracting Parties for the compliance reporting period (1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021). The Secretariat circulated Draft reports on 04 August 2021 and the Summary Report containing Contracting Party responses is Annex 1 to this paper.

This paper provides a summary of the activity in special funds that are relevant to the Scientific Committee.

As requested by the SCIC Chair, Ms Meggan Engelke-Ros, four electronic discussion groups (e-groups) were created to assist the work of SCIC. A summary is presented in this background paper of the discussions across the four e-groups.