CCAMLR meeting in Bremerhaven: a missed opportunity to protect important marine areas in the Antarctic
Commissioner Damanaki expressed her big disappointment that the CCAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources) Special meeting in Bremerhaven, Germany, was unable to reach an agreement on the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs). The meeting this week considered two MPA proposals – a proposal by Australia, France and the European Union for a network of MPAs in East Antarctica and another one by New Zealand-United States on the Ross Sea region. Together with other CCAMLR members the EU had been working very hard to prepare for this meeting and to ensure that CCAMLR would live up to its commitments made in 2009 to establish a representative network of MPAs by 2012.
Commissioner Damanaki stated: “It is a shame that the large support for the protection of these areas was blocked by a few. This is a step backwards and puts at stake the reputation of an organisation that has always been one of the frontrunners in the sustainable management of marine living resources. I do hope that this missed opportunity will be repaired soon”.
