Establishing CCAMLR Marine Protected Areas

In response to recent papers to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) proposing new approaches to establishing CCAMLR Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), New Zealand has assessed these proposals and welcomes creative thinking towards MPA establishment. We conclude that many of the elements proposed are already included in CCAMLR’s existing General framework for the establishment of CCAMLR Marine Protected Areas (CM 91-04). CCAMLR MPAs are defined, baseline data are part of CCAMLR MPA practice, research and monitoring is effective, and consideration of periods of designation is provided for. CCAMLR’s existing and proposed MPAs and MPA framework are scientifically robust and directly aligned with and supporting CCAMLR’s objective. Accordingly, New Zealand considers that CCAMLR’s priority should be on progressing current MPA proposals and encouraging new proposals toward establishing a representative system of CCAMLR MPAs