Countries' vetoes prevent progress in protecting krill in Antarctica.
The 44th meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), held in Hobart, Australia, ended without concrete progress in creating new marine protected areas or measures to curb the expansion of industrial krill fishing, a small crustacean essential to the ecological balance of the icy continent and the global climate system.
The meeting, which brings together 27 countries and the European Union, once again exposed the political impasse that has paralyzed environmental governance in the region for almost a decade.
Despite scientific warnings about the imminent collapse of Antarctic ecosystems, driven by global warming and overfishing, CCAMLR has not approved a new protected area since 2016.
“It is deeply disappointing to see CCAMLR paralyzed by the politics and intentions of some countries and, ultimately, the krill fishing industry, to exploit Antarctic wildlife for profit,” said National Geographic photographer and filmmaker Andy Mann, a member of the international coalition Antarctic Avengers .
Industry dominates debates.Antarctic krill, the base of the food chain for whales, penguins, and seals, has become the target of a multi-billion dollar industry.
The Norwegian company Aker BioMarine, the largest in the sector, alone fishes more than the entire Chinese fleet, according to the All Eyes on Antarctica report, released by the Our Antarctica campaign.
A large portion of the catch is used to feed fish raised on salmon farms, and the remainder is used to produce animal feed and nutritional supplements.
China and Norway plan to expand their fleets with new super-trawlers, even as penguin colonies decline and whale food becomes increasingly scarce.
A recent study revealed that Norway went so far as to propose increasing fishing quotas in sensitive areas of the Antarctic Peninsula, which intensified criticism from environmentalists and Latin American countries.
Diplomatic blockadeThe proposal to create the Antarctic Peninsula Marine Protected Area, presented by Chile and Argentina in 2017, was once again vetoed by a small group of countries, including Norway, China, and Russia.
The project is supported by the majority of CCAMLR members and considered essential to protecting one of the regions most affected by climate change.
Dan Crockett, executive director of the Blue Marine Foundation, stated that the commission had reached a "historic crossroads."
“Either it fulfills its promise of conservation, or it becomes a tool of the fishing industry. CCAMLR has the power to create highly significant marine protected areas,” he said.
Governance in checkCreated in 1982 as part of the Antarctic Treaty System, CCAMLR operates under a consensus rule, meaning that any country can block a decision.
According to environmentalists, this mechanism has become a veto instrument used by nations with industrial interests, preventing the advancement of conservation policies.
The Antarctic Defenders coalition, which brings together scientists, activists, and personalities such as oceanographer Sylvia Earle and actor Benedict Cumberbatch, is calling for an end to krill fishing and the immediate creation of a representative network of marine protected areas.
The movement also demands that CCAMLR fulfill its global commitment to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030 and recognize the role of the Southern Ocean as a natural carbon sink: krill are estimated to store around 23 million tons of carbon per year.
Juan Carlos Navarro, Panama's Minister of the Environment, reinforced international concern.
“The humpback whales of the Southern Ocean come to Panama to mate and give birth. If they continue to exploit krill, they will destroy our whale populations and the balance of the entire ecosystem.”
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