The Southern Ocean is at a crossroads. It’s been a decade since the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) last adopted a new marine protected area in the Southern Ocean. This October, that could change.
There are increasingly clear signs that conservation action is needed in the Antarctic. For the second year running, the commercial krill fishery operating in the waters surrounding Antarctic Peninsula has shut down early, a sign that krill fishing effort has become increasingly concentrated in the same waters where whales, seals, penguins, and other fish come to feed.
The Governments of Chile and Argentina have put forward a proposal to create a marine protected area that can safeguard the Antarctic’s vital habitats, ecosystems, and keystone species. Against a backdrop of rapid climate change and competing ecological and commercial interests, there is an emerging opportunity — and growing need — for the member governments of CAMLR to deliver meaningful conservation outcomes for Antarctic wildlife.
Featured Speakers
*Additional speakers to be announced
Ashlan Gorse Cousteau, Co-Founder, Seavoir; Co-Founder, Voyacy Regen; Ambassador, EarthEcho International; Ocean Restorationist
Benjamin N. Gedan, Senior Fellow & Director, Latin America Program, Stimson Center
