Germany intends to present the Scientific Committee the scientific background and justification for the development of a marine protected area (MPA) in the Weddell Sea planning area. In accordance with the recommendations by WG-EMM-14 (SC-CAMLR-XXIII, Annex 6), this was done in three separate documents (Part A-C). SC-CAMLR-XXXIV/BG/15 (Part A) sets out the general context of the establishment of MPAs and provides the background information on the Weddell Sea MPA (WSMPA) planning area; SC-CAMLR-XXXIV/BG/16 (Part B) informs on the data retrieval process and SC-CAMLR-XXXIV/BG/17 (Part C) describes the means and the results of the scientific analyses and the development of objectives and priority areas for a Weddell Sea MPA.
Here, the delegation of Germany intends to update the Scientific Committee on the current state of Part C that was further developed in the 2014/15 intersessional period. Chapter 1 contains an update of the data analysis that has been presented in our background document SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/02, and had welcomed and endorsed as a foundation reference document for the Weddell Sea MPA planning by the Scientific Committee (SC-CAMLR-XXXIII, § 5.21). Chapter 2 provides a systematic overview of the newly conducted MPA scenario development. The proposed objectives (subchapter 2.1) and priority areas for a WSMPA (subchapter 2.4) are intended to be incorporated in the WSMPA proposal.
Please note that this document already reflects a number of the recommendations made by WG-EMM 15. Further improvements and extensions that were proposed by WG-EMM 15 will be presented to WG-EMM in 2016 with a view for the Scientific Committee to approve Part C at its meeting in 2016.