The CAMLR Scientific Committee in 2016 reviewed three scientific background documents in support of the development of a CCAMLR MPA in the Weddell Sea. Germany was asked to carry out further work, in particular regarding the issues and questions raised at WG-EMM-16 and SC-CAMLR-XXXV.
Here, the Delegation of Germany intends to update the Scientific Committee on the current state of the work carried out during the 2016/2017 intersessional period. Chapter 1 of this working group paper informs on the new data retrieval process. Chapter 2 presents the updated analyses of relevant data layers, including an update on the Antarctic toothfish habitat model. Chapter 3 provides a sensitivity analysis of the level of protection for Antarctic toothfish and other demersal fish that explores a range of protection-level scenarios. In this context, we show how the cost layer works. Subsequently, a revised Marxan approach based on the updated data layer is shown. In Chapter 4 we outline the way we - at that stage -transferred the results of the scientific analyses into the WSMPA borders and management zones.
In addition, Germany already took into account a number of recommendations made by WG-EMM-17, such as the use of the recursive Marxan procedure and the spatial projection of data. Some other improvements that were suggested by WG-SAM-17 and WG-EMM-17 (e.g., the reliability of the sparse data sets, the development of separate cost layers for krill and toothfish) will be reported to the CCAMLR Working Groups in 2018.