This document examines the progress made to date in the establishment of a representative system of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the CCAMLR Convention Area, looking at the wider context and what still needs to be accomplished. ASOC suggests that although CCAMLR should consider different concerns, it should focus on its conservation mandate, and realise the objective of establishing a representative system of MPAs in the CAMLR Convention Area.

The IMO has agreed to consider additional provisions for vessels not covered by the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention in Step 2 or Phase 2 of the Polar Code. Most recently, Member States and international organizations were invited to submit further information to IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), the next meeting of which takes place in November 2016. Consequently, ASOC urges the CCAMLR Secretariat to provide comprehensive information on incidents in polar waters involving fishing vessels, and encourages Commission Members to submit to the IMO’s MSC national reports into incidents and accidents involving fishing vessels. Nevertheless, given the seriousness of recent incidents involving fishing vessels in the Convention Area, ASOC believes it is appropriate for CCAMLR to introduce additional measures to protect human life and the environment. These include requiring all licensed vessels to meet at least the ICE-1C ice classification standard and introducing a two-tier level of training for fishing vessel crews in the CCAMLR area via a new Conservation Measure.

The Joint CEP/SC-CAMLR Workshop on Climate Change and Monitoring was a timely and useful exercise that produced a number of recommendations with relevance to CCAMLR XXXV, SC-CAMLR XXXV and the planned SC-CAMLR Symposium. In this paper, ASOC highlights some actions for SC-CAMLR and the Commission so that implementation of these recommendations can begin immediately, including: o    developing a climate change response work programme and a list of key scientific questions for SC-CAMLR; o    inviting SCAR, ICED and SOOS to attend WG-EMM-17; o    making CEMP and other CCAMLR data more visible and accessible; o    requesting SCAR to submit ACCE updates to SC-CAMLR; o    linking discussions about key scientific questions on climate change to MPA discussions; o    providing annual updates on climate change-related work to the CEP; o    including climate change in working group discussions; o    developing a response to ocean acidification; and, o    encouraging fishing vessels to assist in data collection.

ASOC member organization WWF supports a precautionary and science-based approach to identify the pressures and threats to the planet’s largest wilderness. WWF’s new biennial report - Tracking Antarctica - provides a scientific update on the state of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. It identifies ways to respond to the challenges based on the latest scientific evidence to ensure the wonders of the Antarctic are preserved for generations to come. The report will be available publicly as a digital application for mobile phones and tablets in October 2016 and the app will be updated throughout the year.

Proposal for research fishing in 48.6, modification to WG-SAM 16/12 (SC-CAMLR-XXXV/05, parr 3.38 and 3.39).

Two scientific research voyages were undertaken on board the RRS James Clark Ross in the South Orkney Islands region during the 2015/16 austral summer. These surveys together involved scientific collaborators from 11 countries, including 9 CCAMLR Members. This major research effort will inform the further development of spatial management, including feedback management of the krill fishery, in this region.

The South Orkneys Ecosystems Studies cruise (SOES, Jan-Feb 2016) was led by the UK and Norway, and focused on the krill-based ecosystem in the main fishing area in Subarea 48.2 undertaken in the austral summer of 2015-16. It collected at-sea data on the distribution, abundance and behaviour of krill and its predators across a range of temporal and spatial scales using acoustics, nets and cameras. The research vessel data are linked to complementary studies undertaken from a commercial fishing vessel and field camps on Monroe Island, Powell Island and at Signy where satellite tracking of penguins and fur seals was undertaken. These data sets and the expected outputs will provide key information on important interactions between krill, krill predators and the commercial fishery that will be an important contribution to developing spatial management and krill feedback management strategies.

The South Orkneys State of the Antarctic Ecosystem cruise (SO-AntEco, Feb-Mar 2016) was led by the UK, and aimed to investigate the distribution and composition of the benthic communities associated with different geomorphic features both within and outside the South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf (SOISS) Marine Protected Area (MPA). The expedition used a range of scientific sampling gear and video and photographic equipment to investigate species diversity, assemblage composition, abundance and habitat zonation along the shelf break of the South Orkney Islands. The results from these investigations will enable us to ascertain whether there are characteristic indicator species prevalent in each proxy geomorphic habitat. The expedition also aimed to map the locations and distributions of all species found that were identified as VME indicator taxa.

The Delegation of Germany presents to the Scientific Committee the scientific background in support of the development of a marine protected area (MPA) in the Weddell Sea planning area. In accordance with the recommendations by WG-EMM-14 (SC-CAMLR-XXIII, Annex 6), this was done in three separate documents (Part A-C). SC-CAMLR-XXXV/BG/11 (Part A) sets out the general context of the establishment of CCAMLR-MPAs and provides the background information on the Weddell Sea MPA (WSMPA) planning area; SC-CAMLR-XXXV/BG/12 (Part B) informs on the data retrieval process and SC-CAMLR-XXXV/BG/13 (Part C) describes the methods and the results of the scientific analyses as well as the development of the objectives and finally of the borders for the WSMPA.

Earlier versions of Parts A-C were already presented at the meetings of EMM in 2015 and 2016 and SC-CAMLR in 2015. At the CCAMLR meeting in 2015 the Scientific Committee did recognise that the body of science of the background documents (SC-CAMLR-XXXIV/BG/15, BG/16, BG/17) provides the necessary foundation for developing a WSMPA proposal (SC-CAMLR-XXXIV, § 5.11), which is being submitted separately to 35th meeting of the CAMLR Commission.

Here, the Delegation of Germany presents Part C to the Scientific Committee. Part C has been further revised in the light of comments received at the above mentioned meetings and in the 2015/16 intersessional period. Chapter 1 shows a revision of the data analysis including, for example, a new data layer on the Antarctic toothfish habitat. Chapter 2 provides an update of the MPA scenario development incorporating a newly compiled cost layer.

According to the experience gained in the first phase of the research and observations made by WG-SAM-16, a new proposal is provided to determine the distribution and abundance of fish in subareas 48.1 and 48.2. In this opportunity, the study area includes the continental shelf and slope north of Elephant Island and north of South Orkney Islands, between 100 and 500 m of depth (Depth strata: 101-200 m, 201-260 m; 261-320 m, 320-380 m, 381-440, and 441-500 m). The sampling area was divided in daily stages of operation, performed with a midwater trawl, with six random spatially distributed hauls in each stratum depth. With the data obtained in each subarea, the density of fish resources will be determined using the Delta method. Additionally, in a delimited sector north of Elephant Island, the catch composition and performance of the midwater trawl will be compared with the bottom trawl previously used by the US AMLR Program, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, USA. Besides, acoustic information will be continuously recorded in magnetic archives during the whole navigation track between sampling stations, during respective trawls and at night in each sampling operation unit. Likewise, during the cruise, sampling for biological studies (stomachs, gonads and otoliths) of the main species of fish caught will continue.

The Delegation of Germany presents to the Scientific Committee the scientific background in support of the development of a marine protected area (MPA) in the Weddell Sea planning area. In accordance with the recommendations by WG-EMM-14 (SC-CAMLR-XXIII, Annex 6), this was done in three separate documents (Part A-C). SC-CAMLR-XXXV/BG/11 (Part A) sets out the general context of the establishment of CCAMLR-MPAs and provides the background information on the Weddell Sea MPA (WSMPA) planning area; SC-CAMLR-XXXV/BG/12 (Part B) informs on the data retrieval process and SC-CAMLR-XXXV/BG/13 (Part C) describes the methods and the results of the scientific analyses as well as the development of the objectives and finally of the borders for the WSMPA.

Earlier versions of Parts A-C were already presented at the meetings of EMM in 2015 and 2016 and SC-CAMLR in 2015. At the CCAMLR meeting in 2015 the Scientific Committee did recognise that the body of science of the background documents provides the necessary foundation for developing a WSMPA proposal (SC-CAMLR-XXXIV, § 5.11), which is being submitted separately to 35th meeting of the CAMLR Commission.

Here, the Delegation of Germany presents to the Scientific Committee the final version of Part B that provides a systematic overview of the environmental (chapter 1) and ecological data sets (chapter 2) acquired for the WSMPA planning. Part B has been further revised in the light of comments received at the above mentioned meetings. Final additions in the 2015/16 intersessional period include some newly acquired data sets on e.g. seabirds and demersal fish.