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

CCAMLR: Protecting Antarctic Marine Life Since 1982

The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) came into force in 1982 as a key part of the Antarctic Treaty System. It was established in response to growing concerns about increasing Antarctic krill catches in the Southern Ocean and the potential impacts on the wider marine ecosystem, including the seabirds, seals and fish that depend on krill.

CCAMLR’s mission: conservation and sustainable harvesting

CCAMLR aims to conserve Antarctic marine life while allowing sustainable harvesting of key marine resources. Fishing is permitted under the Convention, provided it is carried out responsibly and does not threaten the long-term health of the ecosystem.

To achieve this, the Convention established the CCAMLR commission and its scientific committee. Together, these bodies use the best available scientific evidence to inform the management and conservation of marine living resources across the Southern Ocean.

CCAMLR and the ecosystem approach to fisheries management

CCAMLR and its scientific committee pioneered what is now widely known as the ecosystem approach to fisheries management. Unlike traditional fisheries management, which may focus primarily on the species being harvested, this approach considers how fishing can affect dependent and related species within the wider marine ecosystem.

This means that managing a fishery for species such as Antarctic krill requires an understanding not only of the krill population itself, but also of the predators that rely on it and the environmental changes affecting the ecosystem. This ecosystem-based approach has made CCAMLR an important international example of science-led fisheries management. However, understanding and protecting the complex and rapidly changing ecosystems of the Southern Ocean requires sustained scientific collaboration and long-term monitoring.

The UK and BAS at CCAMLR

The UK is represented at CCAMLR by a team from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, supported by the UK representative to the Scientific Committee, BAS scientist Dr Martin Collins, and scientific experts from BAS and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.

BAS scientists are major contributors to CCAMLR’s scientific work, providing the evidence and expertise needed to support decisions about the conservation and sustainable management of Southern Ocean marine life. Alongside the research itself, scientists at BAS contribute extensively to CCAMLR scientific meetings and lead several international task teams working to advance CCAMLR priorities.

Science supporting Southern Ocean conservation

BAS provides CCAMLR with data, analyses and scientific expertise built on decades of research and long-term monitoring in the Southern Ocean. This includes long-term data on krill, fish stocks, Antarctic fur seals, penguins, albatrosses and marine debris. These datasets allow scientists to track changes in populations and ecosystems over time and provide vital evidence for understanding the combined impacts of fishing and climate change.

BAS scientists also study the ecology of commercially harvested species, including Antarctic krill, mackerel icefish, Patagonian toothfish and Antarctic toothfish, as well as the predators that depend on them. Estimates of fish and krill biomass provide essential evidence for assessing stocks and setting precautionary catch limits.

Alongside collecting and analysing data, BAS scientists develop models and other analytical tools that help translate scientific evidence into practical conservation advice. This work supports measures including precautionary catch limits, Marine Protected Areas and other approaches to distributing krill catches to reduce risks to predators and the wider ecosystem.

Through this combination of long-term monitoring and international scientific collaboration, BAS helps provide the evidence that underpins the UK’s contribution to CCAMLR and support the conservation and sustainable management of the Southern Ocean.