East Antarctic Marine Protected Area (EAMPA)

The following information on the proposed East Antarctic Marine Protected Area (EAMPA) was provided by Australia:

The proposal to establish a representative system of MPAs in East Antarctica was first presented to the Scientific Committee in 2011 (SC-CAMLR XXX/11) and to the Commission (CCAMLR XXXI/36) in 2012. Since then, the proposal and draft measure have evolved to incorporate feedback from discussions between Members. The EAMPA model is designed according to the principles of systematic conservation planning. The current EAMPA proposal (CCAMLR-SM-III/02) outlines conservation objectives including representativeness of complex biogeographic regions, protection of regional biodiversity and key ecosystem processes, habitats and species in three areas; Drygalski, MacRobertson and D'Urville Sea-Mertz, East Antarctic, and monitoring of ecosystem change without the impact of fishing activities in the region.

Discussions regarding the proposal to establish a MPA in East Antarctica are on-going.

Within the East Antarctic Planning Domain, the EAMPA is designated to contribute to the following general objectives, in line with Article II of the CAMLR Convention:

• (i) to conserve ecosystems representative of the biogeographic provinces and sub-provinces of the East Antarctic Planning Domain,
• (ii) to  conserve  marine  biodiversity  by  protecting  representative  areas  of  benthic and pelagic  marine  ecosystems  and  habitats  in  the  East  Antarctic  Planning Domain,  including  the  coastal  and  oceanic  food  web  to  the  north  of  the continental shelf and south of the Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front, with sufficient spatial extent to maintain their viability and integrity in the long term,
• (iii) To improve the knowledge base of the marine biodiversity including ecosystems in key areas to inform future protection measures, including their spatial extent,and to assess the effectiveness of the EAMPA,
• (iv) to protect key ecosystem processes and regions responsible for the productivity and functional integrity of the ecosystem,
• (v) to   protect   representative   benthic   habitats,   including   vulnerable   marine ecosystems, innershelf depressions and embayments,
• (vi) to protect areas of high productivity that are important to trophically dominant pelagic  prey  species  (including  populations,  life  history  stages),  and  critical foraging areas for marine mammals and birds and land-based top predators,
• (vii) to  protect  essential  habitats  in  the reproductive  and  early  life-cycle  phases of Euphausia superba, Dissostichus mawsoni and Pleuragramma antarctica, and
• (viii) to  provide  scientific  reference  zones  to  be  used  (in  whole  or  in  part)  as  areas within  which   natural   variability  and   long-term   ecosystem   change   can   be assessed with and without the effects of fishing.

The  MacRobertson  scientific  reference  zones contribute  to  the  EAMPA  and  have  the  following  specific objectives:

• (i) To provide, in the West Kerguelen Sub-province, a scientific reference zone:
  • a)to improve the knowledge base of the marine ecosystems and biodiversity of the Sub-province, including biodiversity associated with shelf and slope habitats,   the   Cape  Darnley   polynya,   and   innershelf   depressions   and embayments,
  • b)to monitor natural variability and long term environmental changes,
• (ii) To protect the areas of high productivity along the Mawson coast, and
• (iii) To  protect  foraging  areas  for  adjacent  Adelie  and  Emperor  penguin  colonies during the critical breeding and chick provisioning period.

The Drygalski scientific reference zones contribute to the EAMPA and have the following specific objectives:

• (i) To provide, in the East Kerguelen Sub-province, a scientific reference zone:
  • a) to improve the knowledge base of the marine ecosystems and biodiversity of the Sub-province, including biodiversity associated with shelf and slope habitats,  canyons  and  ice  shelves,  the  southern  BANZARE  Bank  on  the Kerguelen Plateau and innershelf depressions and embayments,
  • b) to monitor natural variability and long term changes,(ii)To protect the area of high productivity around Drygalski Island,
• (iii) To  protect  a  representative  area  of  the  Greater  Kerguelen  Plateau,  the  only representation of this type of ecosystem in the EAMPA,
• (iv) To  protect  foraging  areas  for  adjacent  Adelie  and  Emperor  penguin  colonies during the critical breeding and chick provisioning period, and
• (v) To protect summer foraging areas for fur seals and elephant seals.

The D’Urville Sea-Mertz scientific  reference  zones contribute  to  the  EAMPA  and  have  the following  specific objectives:

• (i) To provide, in the East Indian Province, a scientific reference zone to:
  • a) improve the knowledge base of the marine ecosystems and biodiversity of the Province including ecological features and species associated with shelf and slope habitats, innershelf depressions and embayments, canyons, and ice shelves,
  • b) to monitor natural variability and long term changes, including changes in bottom water formation,
  • c) to monitor the environmental effects of krill interannual variations,
• (ii) To protect  biodiversity  associated  with  the  formation  of  Antarctic  Bottom Water, the coastal polynyas, and waters adjacent to the Mertz Glacier,
• (iii) To protect designated Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs),
• (iv) To protect nursery areas for Antarctic silverfish, Pleuragramma antarctica,
• (v) To protect foraging areas and monitor changes in the populations of adjacent Adelie  and  Emperor  penguin  colonies  during  the  critical  breeding  and  chick provisioning period, and
• (vi) To protect foraging areas for seals.