Antarctic Marine Protection
Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
The UK was one of the original 12 countries to sign the Antarctic Treaty in 1959, ensuring the frozen and near-pristine continent was set aside for peace and science.
The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) was established under the Antarctic Treaty System in 1982 with the objective of conserving Antarctic marine life. This was in response to increasing concern about the sustainability of krill fishing and the impact on the wider Southern Ocean ecosystem.
CCAMLR practices an ecosystem-based management approach, which allows harvesting as long as such harvesting is carried out in a sustainable and precautionary manner and takes account of the effects of fishing on other components of the ecosystem. The CAMLR Commission sets the regulatory framework for the management of the Southern Ocean through the adoption of Conservation Measures. CCAMLR’s Scientific Committee, and its 3 Working Groups, provide robust scientifically-based recommendations for consideration by the Commission.
CCAMLR is a consensus-based organisation with 25 Member nations and the European Union. CCAMLR meets each year in Hobart, Australia, in October.
The UK Government bodies the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science and the British Antarctic Survey provide scientific advice on CCAMLR.
CCAMLR Convention Area