India supports marine protected areas in Antarctica to conserve ocean life

India supports marine protected areas in Antarctica to conserve ocean life

Subject: Environment

Section: Biodiversity

Context: India will continue to support setting up two Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in Antarctica to protect marine life and its ecosystem services, Union minister of state (independent charge) for science and technology and earth sciences.

More on the News:

• A 2022 study that analysed over forty years of krill fishery data found that krill fishing was highest in the regions surrounding the Western Antarctic Peninsula and near the South Orkney Islands.
• The Southern Ocean has two MPAs — one in the southern shelf of the South Orkney Islands and the other in the Ross Sea. These fully protect only 5 per cent of the ocean.
• All types of fishing, other than scientific research, are prohibited within the southern shelf of the South Orkney Islands MPA. Discharges and dumping from fishing vessels are also not allowed.
• In the Ross MPA, 72 per cent of the waters are closed to commercial fishing.
• No further MPAs have been established despite three further MPAs being at advanced stages of development.
• Since 2012, the European Union and Australia have proposed an MPA in East Antarctica. An MPA was proposed in the Weddell Sea by the EU and Norway and in the waters surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula by Chile and Argentina.
• In 2021, India extended its support for designating East Antarctica and the Weddell Sea as MPA.
• China and Russia blocked these efforts at the 41st annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).
• If the proposed MPAs take form in Antarctica, they will contribute to the United Nations 30×30 Framework, which aims to protect 30 per cent of the world’s land and sea.

Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources

• The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) is an international organization established in 1982 to manage and conserve the marine living resources in the Southern Ocean.
• The Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica is one of the last remaining wilderness areas on earth, with unique and fragile ecosystems that support a diverse range of marine species, including whales, seals, and penguins.
• CCAMLR was established under the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CAMLR Convention) to ensure the sustainable management of the living resources in the Southern Ocean.
• CCAMLR is made up of 26 member countries and the European Union, representing the majority of the countries with an interest in the Southern Ocean. Membership is open to all countries that accede to the CAMLR Convention.
• CCAMLR has adopted a number of measures to protect the Southern Ocean ecosystem, including the establishment of large-scale marine protected areas and conservation measures for vulnerable marine ecosystems.
• CCAMLR has also taken measures to manage fisheries in the Southern Ocean, including setting catch limits for key species such as krill and toothfish, and requiring fishing vessels to adhere to strict environmental and conservation regulations.

Marine Protected Area in India https://optimizeias.com/climate-smart-marine-protected-areas-can-shield-biota-from-global-warming/