Desde 2012, Australia y la Unión Europea y sus Estados miembro han venido presentado, para su consideración por la Comisión, una propuesta de medida de conservación para la designación de un área marina protegida en la Antártida Oriental (AMPAO). Desde entonces, India, Nueva Zelandia, Noruega, República de Corea, Ucrania, Reino Unido, Estados Unidos y Uruguay se han unido a la propuesta como coautores. El borrador de la medida ha sido objeto de mejoras continuas gracias a los comentarios aportados por los Miembros. Este documento presenta un borrador de la medida de conservación que refleja esos comentarios y que se presentó a los Miembros de la CCRVMA en CCAMLR-38 (2019) y CCAMLR-39 (2020). Este año, no se han hecho cambios a la propuesta presentada a CCAMLR-40, y el propósito de este documento es recordar a los Miembros las mejoras presentadas a reuniones anteriores.

Se recomienda la aprobación de la medida de conservación para el establecimiento de un AMP en la Antártida Oriental, contenida en el anexo A.

This paper summarises data collected by Scheme of International Scientific Observation observers and vessels, of incidental interactions between fishing vessels, seabirds and marine mammals during fishing activities undertaken during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The extrapolated total of 44 seabirds caught in 2020 is the lowest on record for CCAMLR fisheries. Three humpback whales were recorded as incidental mortalities in krill fisheries in 2021, the first mortality records for this species.

This paper was originally contributed as WG-FSA-2021/04 Rev. 1 which included data submitted by 23 August 2021. Upon request from WG-FSA-2021 (paragraph 6.5) it was revised with details on extrapolated warp strikes per vessel presented in Table 3 for consideration by the Scientific Committee. The paper includes additional data from krill trawl fisheries submitted by 23 September 2021.

As the first large-scale MPA in an area beyond national jurisdiction, the Ross Sea region MPA sets a precedent for design, adoption and implementation of other MPAs on the high seas and in the Southern Ocean. This ASOC Background paper includes an article in press in Marine Policy: “The Ross Sea, Antarctica: A highly protected MPA in international waters,” which presents a detailed explanation of the governance of the Ross Sea region MPA, including the active and ongoing management, research and monitoring. The paper further described how and why the majority of the MPA qualifies under the new MPA Guide as a highly protected MPA. As CCAMLR moves towards establishing a network of Southern Ocean MPAs, the Ross Sea region MPA can provide valuable guidance. Currently, three additional Southern Ocean MPAs remain under negotiation – in East Antarctica, the Weddell Sea, and around the Antarctic Peninsula. The prohibitions and restrictions coordinated through CCAMLR’s Conservation Measures, and the active management, research, monitoring and enforcement of the Ross Sea region MPA illustrate that CCAMLR and its Member States can and will actively manage and enforce MPAs. The paper concludes that the Ross Sea region MPA is currently, and for the foreseeable future, highly protected from potentially destructive human activities, and is thus exemplary of a large-scale highly protected MPA.

Cooperation between the Scientific Committee of CCAMLR (SC-CAMLR) and the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) has been steadily increasing to the mutual benefit of both. In order to avoid duplicate reporting between the two committees and following discussions between the Chairs of the CEP and SC-CAMLR, the report of the CEP meeting is presented to SC-CAMLR by the CEP Observer to SC-CAMLR and the report of the meeting of SC-CAMLR is presented to the CEP by the SC-CAMLR observer to the CEP. An agreed standard reporting template, to be routinely followed by both committees, has also clarified and simplified the reciprocal reporting. Accordingly, this report provides the CEP’s annual report to SC-CAMLR-40. Due to the pandemic, both the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) and the CEP meeting were cancelled in 2020. The 2021 ATCM/CEP meetings were held virtually, with less time available for discussion than during in-person meetings.

At CCAMLR-39 (2020), the Commission agreed to establish an e-group to allow for information exchange between Members to facilitate a thorough investigation regarding the issue of allegations against the Russian-flagged fishing vessel (FV) Palmer (CCAMLR-39, paragraph 6.11). No such group was established. New Zealand understands that the Russian Federation’s investigations are ongoing.

This paper summarises, for the Commission’s reference, the information that has been tabled to date in support of those investigations including regarding activities in January 2020 that led to New Zealand’s recommendation to include FV Palmer on the CP-IUU Vessel List (COMM CIRCs 20/47, 20/76, 20/130, 20/135 and 20/149 and in CCAMLR-39/11 Rev. 1), and further investigation of the 2017 pre-season fishing activities.

The New Zealand Government undertakes regular aerial surveillance patrols in the Ross Sea region in support of CCAMLR’s fisheries management and conservation objectives. This paper summarises the two aerial patrol activities carried out during the 2020/21 toothfish fisheries season by New Zealand.

This paper provides an update of the latest considerations for the D1MPA proposal during the 2020-2021 intersessional period. It explores the proposal in the context of the expiration of CM 51-07, the new krill fishery management strategy under development, and the risk assessment framework where D1MPA provides a solid scenario for the spatial allocation of catch with a low risk to predators and the fishery (WG-EMM-21). Additionally, the paper sets up the initial stages for the development of a comprehensive and multinational Research and Monitoring Plan (RMP) that would seek to generate synergies between national Antarctic programs, multinational initiatives, NGOs and the fishing industry.