CCAMLR conservation measures: a review

Conservation measures are an integral part of CCAMLR’s management of Antarctic marine living resources. The first measure was introduced in 1984, and the number of measures in force each year has grown rapidly since that time; 61 measures were in force in 2000/01. The majority of conservation measures focus on the management of fisheries and related activities, and most of these measures are in force for a period of one year only. Other conservation measures include specifications for protecting scientific sites, compliance requirements and CCAMLR’s Catch Documentation Scheme for Dissostichus spp. Ten management elements were identified in the set of fishery conservation measures adopted by the Commission during the period from 1984 to 2000. These elements have been added to fishery conservation measures at a steady rate of approximately one new element every two to three years. Elements include access to fisheries, catch limits, seasons, data requirements and specifications for minimising incidental catches. This review allowed the development of two alternative approaches for simplifying the drafting of fishery conservation measures. These alternatives are proposed in CCAMLR-XX/20.