CCAMLR and the ‘shifting baseline syndrome’: Issues of concern

This paper explores the concept of shifting baseline syndrome (SBS) in the context of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and related bodies/instruments. The analysis focuses on CCAMLR’s collective actions across its history: accepted practices, consensus decision-making, the record of conservation measures, and tangible outcomes. Central to this assessment is the question of whether CCAMLR is maintaining consistent conservation standards, or whether certain factors have contributed to diluted ambitions and stalled progress. This paper examines krill fisheries and the issue of marine protected areas (MPAs) in CCAMLR and finds that in both cases, SBS applies. Therefore, CCAMLR’s challenge for the next twenty-five years is not only conserving environments and ecosystems but also addressing shifting baselines and standards to prevent institutional decline. CCAMLR needs to maintain ambitious, consistent conservation practices in the face of historical resource depletion, accelerating climate change, increasing fishing pressure, and diverging views among Members. Without progress on the krill fishery, MPAs, and related issues, CCAMLR’s legitimacy as the primary body for Antarctic marine conservation is at risk.