International meeting on Antarctic ocean protection ends with no further progress

Special MPA Meeting  – ASOC Closing Press Release Two countries thwart the will of the remaining twenty-five to create a system of marine protected areas Santiago Chile, June 23 2023: Members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) were unable to reach consensus on the designation of marine protected areas (MPAs) at a special meeting …

Spirit of international cooperation put to the test at Antarctic meeting

Helsinki, 8 June 2023: An international Antarctic meeting in Helsinki ended this week with environmental organizations expressing frustration that the outcomes do not reflect the magnitude of the climate and biodiversity crises currently facing the region. The 45th Antarctic Treaty Consultative meeting (ATCM) addressed climate issues and the protection of key species, but saw little progress towards a robust adoption …

Chilean Bárbara Hernández achieves record for longest Antarctic swim with urgent call to increase protection of its waters

Antarctica, 6th February 2023: Yesterday the Chilean ice-water swimmer, Bárbara Hernández, made history by being the first person to swim 2.5 kilometers in the frozen waters of Antarctica. Hernández, an experienced open water swimmer with previous world records including the Guinness World Record for completing the fastest ocean mile swim through the Drake Passage in southern Chile, is currently onboard a Chilean …

Two countries ignore scale of biodiversity crisis by thwarting progress needed to protect Antarctica’s ocean

Hobart, 4th November 2022 Today the international body responsible for safeguarding Antarctica’s waters finished its annual meeting with a mixed bag in terms of progress to protect marine life in the region. The 27 members that make up the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) identified further vulnerable areas and committed to conduct more science on …

REACTION FROM ASOC: CONTINUED HIGH-LEVEL SUPPORT FOR SOUTHERN OCEAN PROTECTION AT ONE OCEAN SUMMIT

Reaction from the Antarctic Southern Ocean Coalition  Brest, France: The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition welcomed the announcements from President Macron at the One Ocean Summit that will help safeguard further Antarctica’s waters. These include France publishing at the end of the month its first national polar strategy as well as the creation of the second largest marine protected area …

CCAMLR: Another Missed Opportunity to Protect Antarctica

October 29th, 2021: Today the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)1 – the body responsible for Antarctic marine conservation – concluded its 40th annual meeting, which took place virtually with a restricted schedule. For the fifth year running, no Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been agreed, despite leading scientists and 1.5 million members of the public …