Abstract
Currently, almost 8% of the world's oceans are designated marine protected areas (MPAs), the majority of which are relatively small and under national jurisdiction. Several initiatives are presently underway in international waters to establish large-scale MPAs, such as for the Southern Ocean under the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). By reviewing the MPA initiative in the Weddell Sea (WSMPA), we aim to guide through the planning steps involved in developing an MPA in the high seas of the Southern Ocean in the context of an international organisation, i.e. CCAMLR. We focus also on the associated science-policy discussion process. To this end, we examine the WSMPA roadmap retrospectively from its beginning in 2013 until today. We discuss the individual planning steps and how these have been designed in detail. Throughout, we show that the planning of the WSMPA was based on a collaborative, science-based process that exemplified best practice in applied science. Lastly, we also provide an outlook on the current situation regarding the establishment of CCAMLR MPAs and point out that scientific best practice may not be sufficient to achieve the consensus and political drive ultimately required for the designation of MPAs in the Southern Ocean.
Highlights
The Convention on Biological Diversity’s [1] Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and the United Nations Sustainable Develop ment Goal 14 (UN SDG 14) set global targets for the designation of at least 10% of coastal and offshore marine areas as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by 2020
Norway questioned whether best available science was used, due to a procedural issue and the exclusion of existing datasets in the Weddell Sea MPA (WSMPA) analysis [70]
Germany reflected the recommendations made by Norway at SC-CAMLR-XXXV and presented a background paper at the subsequent Scientific Committee meeting in 2017 [49], Norway still refused its support and made further new recommendations, which had not been mentioned at the prior Scientific Committee meeting of CCAMLR
Summary
The Convention on Biological Diversity’s [1] Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and the United Nations Sustainable Develop ment Goal 14 (UN SDG 14) set global targets for the designation of at least 10% of coastal and offshore marine areas as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by 2020. Because of the ice cover and ocean currents, the Weddell Sea is expected to be one of the last regions of the Southern Ocean where the conse quences of climate change will manifest Until this region may serve as a retreat for those Antarctic species which either directly depend on sea ice (e.g. krill, emperor penguin, Weddell seal) or have developed such strong adaptations to the polar temperatures during the past millennia that their heat tolerance is low (e.g. most notothenioid fishes). The western Weddell Sea region, on the other hand, is a "closed area" where directed fishing for Antarctic toothfish is prohibited [22] Recognising these unique Weddell Sea characteristics and the ne cessity for their protection, experts paved the process for MPA planning in the Weddell Sea after discussions at the MPA Workshop in Brest, France in 2011. Conservation planning outlined along the steps undertaken as part of the WSMPA initiative
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