What is needed to implement a sustainable expansion of the Antarctic krill fishery in the Southern Ocean?

Summary

This comprehensive policy analysis examines the challenges facing CCAMLR in managing the sustainable expansion of the Antarctic krill fishery. The paper identifies four critical management topics that must be addressed before fishery expansion: agreement on best available science, orderly fishery development, marine protected areas for biodiversity conservation, and climate change response planning. The author argues that political disagreements among CCAMLR members are undermining scientific decision-making and threatening the precautionary approach fundamental to Antarctic marine conservation. The paper emphasizes that increased krill fishing must be accompanied by enhanced monitoring, spatial protection measures, and climate resilience strategies to prevent ecosystem damage.

Key Findings

CCAMLR faces increasing polarization affecting decision-making on Southern Ocean fisheries management

Four core management topics require resolution: best available science agreement, krill fishery expansion framework, marine protected area network, and climate change response

Current krill fishery management is precautionary but proposed expansions require untested management mechanisms

Political conflicts, particularly over South Georgia toothfish fishery, are undermining scientific evidence-based decisions

Remote, understudied areas should be designated as closed no-take areas until adequate monitoring is established

Integration of fishery expansion with biodiversity protection and climate resilience is essential

Abstract

Policy differences amongst CCAMLR Members are increasingly affecting decision-making with regards to management of Southern Ocean fisheries. Major differences reflect differing interpretations of the Convention's primary objective: the conservation of marine living resources, where conservation includes rational use. The best available science historically informed decisions, but policy objectives are increasingly coming to the fore. Resolving how scientific evidence is used in decision-making is essential, given this has consequences for all management topics. In the southwest Atlantic, scientific evidence and how it is used is central to the controlled development of the Antarctic krill fishery. Much work has already been undertaken to allow catches to increase, but more is needed, including ensuring that, as yet untested, management procedures work as intended. Precautionary development should therefore now focus upon ensuring ecosystem resilience is not compromised. Generally, the area managed by CCAMLR experiences relatively light human pressures, yet with newly proposed krill catch limits, this is set to change. Before catches increase, appropriate ecosystem monitoring is needed, and spatial management tools agreed to ensure that biodiversity is adequately maintained, especially given regional climate change. Without such constraints, the krill fishery should not expand. An integrated programme could help CCAMLR adapt. In implementing this, CCAMLR should focus upon areas where economic interests are most intense, that is, over shelf areas and areas of elevated bathymetry. Large-scale remote areas with little economic interest should be set aside as closed areas, until such future time that CCAMLR has agreed appropriate ecological impact assessments and monitoring for these largely unexploited areas.

Published in

Marine Policy

2023

Authors

Philip N. Trathan

Institutions

School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton National Oceanography Centre Southampton

Methods

DataCase

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