CCAMLR is now ten years past the agreed 2012 deadline to establish a representative system of MPAs in the Southern Ocean agreed in 2009. CCAMLR’s greatest achievement in marine protection, the designation of the world’s largest MPA in the Ross Sea, is an example of global leadership. However, the fact that the three MPA proposals under discussion have not been designated despite years of negotiations means that CCAMLR is failing its mandate to deliver a network of MPAs in the Southern Ocean. This paper considers CCAMLR MPAs in the context of marine spatial protection negotiations at a global scale and suggests that now is the time for CCAMLR to once again show global leadership and deliver on ocean protection in the Convention Area. ASOC’s recommendation is that CCAMLR acts immediately to:
- Adopt the three currently proposed MPAs.
- Approve the Ross Sea MPA Research and Monitoring Program.
- Make progress on MPA proposals for MPAs in the remaining planning domains.