Antarctic Meeting opens, paving way for marine protection in the Southern Ocean

Sofia, Bulgaria – 1.6.2015: As the 2015 Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) begins today in Sofia, Bulgaria, there is renewed optimism amongst organizations working for marine protection in Antarctica’s oceans. The Antarctic Ocean Alliance (AOA) is represented at the meeting by its partnering organization, the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC), which has recognised NGO status at the ATCM.

At last year’s ATCM in Brasilia, key countries committed to work together in the lead up to the 2014 Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) annual meeting in Hobart. Sadly, that meeting failed to reach consensus on marine protection.

AOA hopes that parties to the Antarctic Treaty will encourage CCAMLR to continue their fruitful discussions on the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the months preceding this year’s gathering in Hobart, during which two MPA proposals in the Southern Ocean will be considered.

The partners of the Antarctic Ocean Alliance, including The Pew Charitable Trusts, ASOC, and Greenpeace, are calling on CCAMLR to create the world’s two largest marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Ross Sea and East Antarctica, during this October’s meeting. CCAMLR, a consensus-based international organization established under the Antarctic Treaty, is tasked with protecting the marine life of Antarctica’s Southern Ocean, and is made up of 24 member countries and the European Union.

All 25 CCAMLR members had previously committed to establishing a representative system of MPAs in the Southern Ocean by 2012. At CCAMLR’s 2013 and 2014 meetings, however, they failed to agree on two MPA proposals for East Antarctica (proposed by Australia, the EU and France), and the Ross Sea (proposed by New Zealand and the United States).

Background on the ATCM: The Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM), which runs from June 1st to June 10th is the primary forum in which the representatives of Parties to the Antarctic Treaty exchange information, formulate measures, and make decisions and resolutions in order to promote the principles and objectives of the Treaty. The outcomes of Treaty meetings are adopted by consensus of the Consultative Parties.

The Antarctic Treaty is the cornerstone of the Antarctic Treaty System, which provides for the cooperative governance of the vast Antarctic continent and surrounding Austral Ocean (Southern Ocean).

The ATCM meets annually. The Consultative Parties host the meeting according to the alphabetical order of their names in English. In 2015, Bulgaria will host the ATCM for the first time. The invitation to participate in the ATCM includes individuals and delegations representing:

The 29 Consultative Parties: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea (ROK), Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and Uruguay.

The 22 non-Consultative Parties: Austria, Belarus, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Korea (DPRK), Malaysia, Monaco, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Switzerland, Turkey and Venezuela.

Three Observers: the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP), and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

Invited Experts: the Secretariat of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP), the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Dae Levine, AOA Communications Director, based in Sydney, Australia