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The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) was concluded in Canberra in 1980 with New Zealand as one of the original signatories.The Convention applies to the marine living resources of the area south of 60o South latitude and the area between that latitude and the Antarctic Convergence, called the CCAMLR Area . CCAMLR provides for the conservation of fin fish, molluscs, crustaceans and all other species of living organisms, including birds, within the area for which it is responsible, while providing for the rational use of these resources.
CCAMLR was established mainly in response to fears that unregulated fishing for krill, one of the key species in the Antarctic marine food web, could have serious adverse effects on whales, seals, penguins and other species which directly or indirectly depend on krill for food. The Convention adopts an “ecosystem approach” which provides that krill and all the other living resources of the Southern Ocean are treated as an integrated system where effects on predator, prey and related species are considered and decisions on sustainable harvesting levels are made on the basis of sound scientific advice.
CCAMLR provides that the harvesting of any living marine resources in the CCAMLR area must be conducted in accordance with the following principles of conservation:The Convention established a Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources to manage the marine living resources for the area for which it is responsible. The Commission meets annually in Hobart, Australia to give effect to the objectives and principles of the Convention. The 25th meeting (CCAMLR XXV) will be held from 23 October - 3 November 2006.
There are currently 24 members of the Commission, and a further eight states who are party to the Convention but not members of the Commission. Each member of the Commission is involved in fishing and/or scientific research in the Southern Ocean.
Commission members agree, by consensus, on Conservation Measures to apply to the CCAMLR area. Conservation Measures are legally binding on all members. Some are specific measures establishing rules for harvest of living marine resources in described geographical locations; others are more general and must be applied across all fisheries. Conservation Measures are diverse and cover topics including scientific research requirements; establishment of protected species; the setting of catch limits; identification of fishing regions; when fishing may occur and what fishing methods may be used, fisheries inspection procedures and anti-bird catch measures.The Convention is implemented into New Zealand law by the Antarctic Marine Living Resources Act (1981). The Act can be viewed by using the ‘search’ section on the left of the page.
New Zealand vessels currently fish for toothfish in the CCAMLR Area, in particular in the exploratory fisheries in the Ross Sea region (sub-Areas 88.1 and 88.2).
CCAMLR operates a Catch Documentation Scheme for Dissostichus spp. (toothfish), in order to track the trade in toothfish and to help determine whether toothfish caught in the CCAMLR Area is caught in a manner consistent with CCAMLR’s Conservation Measures. The Catch Documentation Scheme is administered by the Ministry of Fisheries.