MEDIA RELEASE
29 October 2021
Today sees the close of the Fortieth Meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).
Due to the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission conducted its Fortieth Meeting online from 18 to 29 October 2021. The meeting was attended by CCAMLR Members and Observers. The Commission meeting was chaired by Dr Jakob Granit (Sweden).
Many important issues were discussed. Of particular note:
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The Commission agreed a Declaration of CCAMLR on the occasion of its 40th meeting that reaffirms their strong and unwavering cooperation and commitment to the objective of the CAMLR Convention (Declaration on the occasion of the fortieth Meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (
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The Commission received a number of proposals for the development of new marine protected areas (MPAs) and agreed a process to advance its consideration of this issue over the next year.
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The Scientific Committee has made significant progress towards a new approach to managing the krill fishery. The Commission extended the subarea limits on the krill fishery catch (Conservation Measure 51-07) for another year while this scientific work is completed.
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The Commission noted that its compliance assessment indicated an overall high level of compliance by Contracting Parties with Conservation Measures.
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The Commission endorsed continued support for capacity building in particular for its highly successful CCAMLR scientific scholarship program (17 scholars since 2012).
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The Commission discussed the importance of reviewing the impacts of climate change on the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources.
What is CCAMLR?
- The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
- Established by an international treaty in 1982
- Its objective is the conservation of Antarctic marine life while providing for rational use
- 26 Members and a further 10 countries have signed the Convention
- CCAMLR is a key international instrument which is part of the Antarctic Treaty System that, on the whole, has ensured peace, freedom of science and protection of the environment in the Antarctic region for 60 years. In addition to CCAMLR, the system comprises the Antarctic Treaty and its Environmental Protocol, the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, and the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals.
- The Secretariat (international Headquarters) is at 181 Macquarie Street, Hobart, Australia
- Further information is available on the CCAMLR website, brochure or through our blog looking through the achievements of CCAMLR over the past 40 years.
Media contact:
Dane Cavanagh
Phone: +61 3 6210 1168 (direct) or ext. 1111 (reception)
Email: media [at] ccamlr [dot] org