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.
