Comments on the status of the South Orkney Islands southern shelf Marine Protected Area (SOISS MPA)

The South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf Marine Protected Area (SOISS MPA),
established by CCAMLR at the initiative of the United Kingdom in Subarea 48.2, has
existed for over 13 years (CM 91-03, 2009). However, several scientific and legal aspects of
this MPA, the first MPA established by CCAMLR, remain unclear. Providing clarity on the
status of this MPA seems essential to us in shaping the system of MPAs in the CCAMLR
area.
Considering the above, it is appropriate to provide some comments on the status of
the SOISS MPA, especially as the Russian Federation has been actively involved in
discussing papers on the SOISS MPA at CCAMLR forums.