South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf Marine Protected Area Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)

Transcription

1 EVALUATION REPORT South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf Marine Protected Area Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) Location: Antarctica, Southern Ocean Global Ocean Refuge Status: Nominated (2017), Evaluated (2017) MPAtlas.org ID: 5283 Manager(s): Andrew Wright, Executive Secretary, Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) 1. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 1.1 Biodiversity Value Effective Management & Compliance 3 2. AWARD STATUS CRITERIA 2.1 Regulations Site Design & Management 7 3. GLORES NETWORK PRIORITIES 3.1 Ecosystem Representation Ecological Spatial Connectivity 8

2 1.1 Eligibility Criteria: Biodiversity Value (must satisfy at least one) a. Includes area of high species richness or endemism within the context of the biogeographic region. The South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf (SOISS) marine protected area (MPA) demonstrates a high level of species richness. There are 1,224 known marine species in the South Orkney Islands. 1 Data collected on a recent research expedition are currently being written up for publication. The peer-reviewed publications with the results and conclusions of this research are expected to be available later this year (2017). This work will likely provide more information on the site s benthic communities along with penguin and leopard seal foraging behavior within the SOISS MPA. 2 The SOISS MPA boundaries, established to accommodate CCAMLR members, do not include any of the areas where significant commercial krill fishing takes place. 3 b. Includes demonstrated historic or predicted ecological refugia. c. Includes rare, unique, or representative ecosystems. The SOISS MPA protects representative benthic and pelagic habitats and a range of biodiversity of the Southern Scotia Arc region, including seasonal ice areas, deeper oceanic waters, areas of high primary productivity, frontal areas and penguin foraging areas. 4 The site includes five of twenty circumpolar pelagic regions. 5,6 The geomorphic zones found in the SOISS MPA are cross shelf valley, shelf, gentle shelf slope, ridge, shallow flat ocean, and deep water seamount ridge. The deep-water seamount ridges, ranging from m depth, are rare in CCAMLR MPA Planning Domain 1. 7,8,9 It is important to note that the benthic areas include notably biodiverse habitats. Recorded marine species in the South Orkney Islands represent approximately 20% of all marine species found in the Southern Ocean Barnes, D.A., et al. (2008). Marine, intertidal, freshwater and terrestrial biodiversity of an isolated polar archipelago. J. Biogeogr, 36(4), Pers comm, Dr. Phil Trathan, Head of Conservation Biology, British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK 6 June CCAMLR. (2014). SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/19: MPA Report for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf, p. 43, Figure CCAMLR. (2014). SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/19: MPA Report for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf, p CCAMLR. (2014). SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/19: MPA Report for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf. p Raymond, B. (2011). A circumpolar pelagic regionalisation of the Southern Ocean. CCAMLR, Hobart, Australia, Paper WS-MPA-11/6 7 CCAMLR. (2014). SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/19: MPA Report for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf. 8 CCAMLR Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) Retrieved 15 June CCAMLR Online GIS Retrieved 1 June Barnes, D.A., et al. (2008). Marine, intertidal, freshwater and terrestrial biodiversity of an isolated polar archipelago. J. Biogeogr, 36(4),

3 d. Includes area important for threatened species (including those identified by the IUCN Red List or national legislation), keystone species, or foundational species. Important areas include migration pathways and breeding, nursery, feeding or assembly areas. The SOISS MPA Report identifies protecting key species, including populations and life history stages, a conservation objective of the SOISS MPA. 11 The South Orkney Islands southern shelf (SOISS) MPA is of critical importance to critical life history stages for Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae) and chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarcticus) penguins neither species is considered threatened. 12,13 The SOISS MPA affords protection of foraging areas which are used by Adélie penguins after breeding season has concluded and during the period when they are recovering body condition, prior to annual molt. This is a period when penguins must replenish reserves lost during breeding, and generate new reserves that will sustain them during the energetically costly molt period. After molt, the birds also use the SOISS MPA as they forage during winter Eligibility Criteria: Effective Management & Compliance (must satisfy all) a. The MPA is designated by a legitimate and functional government representing the interests of civil society, and the MPA s implementation meets the IUCN standards for recognizing indigenous peoples rights. The site was designated by a consensus among the countries party to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). 15 CCAMLR includes 24 States and the European Union. The member States include, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Namibia, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Uruguay. 16 CCAMLR s decisions are made by consensus. b. The MPA is designated to enhance the biodiversity value of the site. The SOISS MPA was designated as a marine protected area, to contribute towards the conservation of marine biodiversity in Subarea 48.2, and managed under this 11 CCAMLR. (2014). SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/19: MPA Report for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf. p. 19 (see p. 42, Figure 2.2) 12 BirdLife International. (2016). Pygoscelis adeliae. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.t a Retrieved June 2017 from 13 BirdLife International Pygoscelis antarcticus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.t a Retrieved June 2017 from 14 CCAMLR. (2014). SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/19: MPA Report for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf. p CCAMLR. (2011). Conservation Measure Retrieved June 2017 from 16 CCAMLR. (n.d.). Members. Retrieved May 2017 from

4 conservation measure [91-03]. 17 Additionally, the MPA report states, the overarching objective for the region is the conservation of biodiversity. 18 c. The MPA designation is permanent or is effective for at least 25 years. The designation is permanent. 19 d. A management plan, updated within the last 15 years, identifies and prioritizes significant threats to biodiversity and addresses those threats with measurable actions; the resources and capacity to implement the management plan are identified and secured. The South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf Marine Protected Area currently has no standalone management plan. However, Conservation Measure (2009) and the MPA Report for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf (2014) outlines much of what one would expect to be included in a management plan. Conservation Measure affirms that the management of the SOISS MPA will be guided by a robust scientific committee and its research; outlines fishing, dumping and discharge restrictions; and declares that the conservation measure will be reviewed based upon the advice of the scientific committee in 2014 and every five years subsequent to the meeting. 20 The MPA Report, which will serve as a framework for updated MPA Reports, includes five sections, 1) Description of the region, 2) Objectives to be achieved in MPAs, 3) Summary of activities, 4) Research and Monitoring, and 5) Assessment of the MPA and the effects of activities. 21 The report identifies fishing and associated activities that occur outside of the SOISS MPA as the most significant threat to biodiversity within the SOISS MPA. Krill fishing at the South Orkney Islands has the potential to have a negative impact upon krill-eating predators including Adélie and chinstrap penguins. The MPA Report considers three management strategies that could minimize the risk of krill fishing to krill-eating predators. 22 CCAMLR is tasked with considering and continuing to research a range of pelagic krill predators, particularly populations that were previously fished, including whales and fin-fish. In this way, CCAMLR is addressing threats to the MPA s biodiversity with measurable actions CCAMLR. (2009). Conservation Measure Retrieved June 2017 from 18 CCAMLR. (2014). SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/19: MPA Report for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf. 19 CCAMLR. (2009). Conservation Measure Retrieved June 2017 from 20 CCAMLR. (2009). Conservation Measure Retrieved June 2017 from 21 CCAMLR. (2014). SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/19: MPA Report for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf, p CCAMLR. (2014). SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/19: MPA Report for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf, p CCAMLR. (2014). SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/19: MPA Report for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf, p

5 The thorough records of research activities and priorities in the MPA Report suggest that resources and capacity to implement the research portion of the management of the MPA are in place. 24 e. Regular monitoring of habitat and/or wildlife is conducted to measure progress with respect to conservation targets. A report of monitoring data is required at each GLORES audit after designation. Any negative biological trends identified through monitoring must be addressed in management plans. Progress toward identifying threats and addressing them must be documented. Research and monitoring activities in the SOISS MPA are extensive and are being carried out by several different countries. These activities are set out in a draft Research and Monitoring Plan that will be periodically reviewed by the CCAMLR Scientific Committee. Research and monitoring activities are intended to inform the management of the SOISS MPA. The primary aims of these research and monitoring efforts are to enhance the understanding of the MPA s ecology and biodiversity, determine the degree to which MPA objectives are being met, and facilitate the development of a representative system of MPAs in the region. 25 The MPA Report documents the results of the research and monitoring activities. 26 It includes an assessment of how well the SOISS MPA objectives are being achieved (see Table 6 for an example). 27 Argentina and the UK each maintain a scientific research station on the South Orkney Islands and provide the CCAMLR with information about the status of the marine ecosystem. 28 f. The MPA garners high regulation compliance rate. Evidence of adequate resources and capacity (including budget and staff) for enforcement is required. Conservation Measure states, For the purpose of monitoring traffic within the protected area, fishing vessels transiting the area are encouraged to inform the CCAMLR Secretariat of their intended transit prior to entering the defined area, providing details of their Flag State, size, IMO number and intended course. In addition, In accordance with Article X, the Commission shall draw this conservation measure to the attention of 24 CCAMLR. (2014). SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/19: MPA Report for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf, p CCAMLR. (2014). SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/11: Research and monitoring plan for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf marine protected area (MPA Planning Domain 1, Subarea 48.2). 26 CCAMLR. (2014). SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/11: Research and monitoring plan for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf marine protected area (MPA Planning Domain 1, Subarea 48.2), p CCAMLR. (2014). SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/19: MPA Report for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf, p CCAMLR. (2014). SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/19: MPA Report for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf, p

6 any State that is not a Party to the Convention, whose nationals or vessels are present in the Convention Area 29 There is no dedicated budget or staff for this MPA; the funds for the SOISS MPA come from the CCAMLR budget. 30 All CCAMLR members contribute an equal base amount, with an additional fishing fee for some members. In 2009, the budget expenditure for compliance was AUD$310, Inspectors are designated by member states (in 2007/08, 65 inspectors were designated, performing 12 at-sea inspections), though inspections take place throughout the CCAMLR region, not necessarily in the SOISS MPA. CCAMLR s executive secretary characterizes enforcement of regulations in the park as active and consistent the Commission would respond to any non-compliance of the MPA regulations GLORES Award Status Criteria: Regulations Scores 1-3 = Platinum, 3-4 = Gold, 4-5 = Silver Classification and scoring (1-8) of zones based on fishing gear, bottom exploitation, aquaculture, and boating. The regulation score for the marine protected area is 1. The entire 94,000 km 2 marine protected area is a no-take zone. Number of fishing gear types allowed: 0 Fishing gear impact score: 0 Bottom exploitation & aquaculture index: 0 Anchoring & boating index: 1 The entire MPA is a no-take zone with exceptions related to scientific monitoring and discovery as approved by the Scientific Committee. 33 The site was given a score of 0 for the bottom exploitation and aquaculture index because Article 7 of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty states, Any activity relating to mineral resources, other than scientific research, shall be prohibited. 34 This statement applies to both oil and mineral exploration and extraction. 29 CCAMLR. (2009). Conservation Measure Retrieved June 2017 from 30 Andrew Wright, Executive Secretary, CCAMLR. Personal communication. June 29, CCAMLR. (2008). SC-CAMLR-XXVII: Report of the Twenty-Seventh Meeting of the Commission. 32 Andrew Wright, Executive Secretary, CCAMLR. Personal communication. June 29, CCAMLR. (2009). Conservation Measure Retrieved June 2017 from 34 Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. (1959). Retrieved June 2017 from

7 This site received a score of 1 for the anchoring and boating index because boating for scientific purposes is allowed. 2.2 GLORES Award Status Criteria: Site Design and Management 3 Attributes = Platinum, 2 Attributes = Gold, 1 Attribute = Silver a. Size: MPA 100 km 2 or explicitly designed as part of a network of MPAs to support population connectivity This MPA is 94,000 km 2. The intent of CCAMLR is that this MPA will be the first in a network of Antarctic marine protected areas. 35 b. Isolation: Ecological or other protected area buffers surround ecosystem(s) The SOISS MPA contains a ridge to the south of the shelf and several deep water seamount ridges that are isolated by flat shallow ocean. However, the MPA bisects the shelf and its slope. 36 c. Age: Protections in the site, comparable to the current protections, are 10 years old The site was established in d. Community engagement: There is a formal process to engage the local community in the implementation and/or ongoing management of the MPA. Due to the geographic isolation of this site, there is no obvious local community that could engage in the designation, implementation and/or ongoing management of the MPA. However, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which is the decision-making body for this marine protected area, is composed of 24 States and the European Union. 38 The broad suite of members likely is a good representation of the site s users. This commission s decisions are made by consensus. 3.1 GLORES Network Priorities: Replicate Ecosystem Representation This MPA is representative of key environmental and ecosystem characteristics in the region, including important predator foraging areas and representative examples of pelagic and benthic bioregions. 39 This area has been called a scientific reference 35 CCAMLR. (2011). Conservation Measure Retrieved June 2017 from 36 CCAMLR. (2014). Figure 1.6. SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/19: MPA Report for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf, p CCAMLR. (2014). Figure 1.6. SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/19: MPA Report for the South Orkney Islands southern shelf, p CCAMLR. (n.d.). Members. Retrieved May 2017 from 39 CCAMLR. (2009). Conservation Measure Retrieved June 2017 from - 7 -

8 area. 40 The Global Ocean Refuge System is in its inaugural year. As a result, the ecosystems protected by Orkney Islands Southern Shelf Marine Protected Area will be the first of these ecosystems within the region to be represented in a Global Ocean Refuge. 3.2 GLORES Network Priorities: Ecological Spatial Connectivity The Global Ocean Refuge System is in its inaugural year. As a result, there are no other Global Ocean Refuges in the region with which to consider the ecological spatial connectivity contribution of the South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf MPA. In future GLORES award cycles, we will describe the location of the MPA within the context of the existing GLORES network, considering connectivity. 40 CCAMLR. (2009). Conservation Measure Retrieved June 2017 from - 8 -