This background paper proposes the development of standardised methods for processing and reporting the results from future acoustic surveys of Antarctic krill, in particular those that produce estimates of krill biomass. Standardising the reporting of acoustic data processing and analysis will enable rapid assessment of the results of krill biomass surveys and enable more effective use of resources in WG-ASAM.  

The vulnerability of the emperor penguin to ongoing and projected climate change was considered at SC-CAMLR-38. Subsequently, a group of international experts was convened under the auspices of SCAR, providing a report to ATCM XLIII - CEP XXIII. The outcomes of this work will have relevance to the ATCM, CEP and possibly CCAMLR, because of its implications for species-related conservation decision-making and conservation planning.

We attach as an Annex to the paper, the draft revised Action Plan now posted on the CEP Intersessional Contact Group, inviting advice from the Scientific Committee.

Australia and the European Union and its Member States have submitted for consideration by the Commission a draft conservation measure for the designation of an East Antarctic Marine Protected Area (EAMPA) since 2012. Since then, India, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Uruguay have joined as co-proponents of this proposal.  The draft measure has been subject to continued improvement thanks to feedback provided by Members. This paper presents a draft conservation measure which reflects this feedback and which was introduced to CCAMLR Members at CCAMLR-38 (2019) and CCAMLR-39 (2020). No further changes have been made to the proposal for CCAMLR-40 and the purpose of this paper is to recall the improvements presented previously.

The Conservation Measure for an East Antarctic MPA, provided in Attachment A, is recommended for adoption.