Managing fisheries to conserve the Antarctic marine

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ecosystem: practical implementation of the Convention on the

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Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)

4808

ID

Australian Antarctic Division

2001

rok

We aim to identify the important steps in the evolution of the ecosystem approach to management

under the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). The

first section provides the background to CCAMLR, including the formulation of the convention and

its objectives, its operation, and the historical trends in fisheries. Later sections describe (i) the

reasons why a precautionary approach to setting catch limits evolved, (ii) how the precautionary

approach takes account of ecosystem objectives and provides for the orderly development of new

fisheries, and (iii) how the use of ecosystem indicators in the setting of catch limits and for

monitoring the effects of fishing is being evaluated. The final section describes the general

framework being used to develop a feedback-management system that incorporates objectives,

target species assessments and ecosystem assessments. The CCAMLR experience provides two

important lessons. First, conservation objectives can only be achieved by implementing

management measures, even when very little is known. Second, methods were found for achieving

scientific consensus despite the uncertainties surrounding estimates of parameters and the

behaviour of the system.

CCAMLR is yet to face the real test in its ecosystem approach, the development of the krill

fishery. Before this occurs, appropriate management procedures have to be developed to avoid

localized effects on the ecosystem and to provide effective feedbacks on the effects of fishing

through its monitoring programme.