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Summaries of EU Legislation

Conservation of Antarctic marine living resources

SUMMARY OF:

Convention on the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources

Decision 81/691/EEC concluding the Convention on the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE CONVENTION AND THE DECISION?

  • The objective of the Convention is the conservation of all marine life, including fish, molluscs, crustaceans and birds, south of 60o South latitude and in the area between that latitude and the Antarctic Convergence1 which form part of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. For the purposes of the Convention, the term ‘conservation’ includes rational use.
  • The decision approves the Convention on behalf of the EU.

KEY POINTS

To conserve marine life, the Convention requires that any fishing and associated activities must follow the following principles:

  • ensure that the population of any species targeted by such activities does not fall below the levels needed to maintain stable populations.
  • maintain the ecological relationships between targeted populations and dependent and related populations of Antarctic marine life, and restore depleted populations to the levels defined above; and
  • prevent changes or minimise the risk of changes in the marine ecosystem which are not potentially reversible over two or three decades, taking into account various factors including environmental changes, with the aim of making possible the sustained conservation of Antarctic marine living resources.

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the Scientific Committee

  • An international Commission, the CCAMLR, set up by the Convention, is responsible for the adoption of conservation measures at its annual meetings designed to ensure the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources, including their rational use.
  • The Scientific Committee is a consultative body set up by the Convention to provide a forum for consultation and cooperation concerning the collection, study and exchange of information of the marine life covered by the Convention. In exercising its functions, the Commission takes full account of the recommendations and advice of the Scientific Committee.
  • Council Decision (EU) 2019/867, adopted in May 2019, sets out the EU position within the Commission for the period 2019-2023

DATE OF ENTRY INTO FORCE

The convention entered into force on .

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

  • About CCAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources).

KEY TERMS

  1. Antarctic convergence: a line joining the following points along parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude: 50oS, 0o; 50oS, 30oE; 45oS, 30oE; 45oS, 80oE; 55oS, 80oE; 55oS, 150oE; 60oS, 150oE; 60oS, 50oW; 50oS, 50oW; 50oS, 0o.

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Convention on the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources (OJ L 252, , pp. 27-35)

Council Decision 81/691/EEC of on the conclusion of the Convention on the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources (OJ L 252, , p. 26)

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