Comments on the status of South Orkney Islands southern shelf (SOISS) MPA RMP

The Marine Protected Area on the southern shelf of the South Orkney Islands (SOISS MPA) established by CCAMLR in Subarea 48.2 on the initiative of the United Kingdom has existed for more than 13 years (Conservation Measure (СМ) 91-03, 2009). However, several scientific and legal aspects of this MPA, the first CCAMLR-established MPA, remain unclear. Therefore, clarifying the status of this MPA seems essential for developing the system of MPAs in the CCAMLR area.

Considering the above, we believe it appropriate to make several comments concerning the SOISS MPA, especially since the Russian Federation has been an active participant in the discussion of papers on the SOISS MPA at CCAMLR forums.