A proposal for the establishment of a Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area

The delegation of New Zealand proposes the establishment by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Living Marine Resources (Commission or CCAMLR) of a marine protected area (MPA) in the Ross Sea Region (“Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area”).  In recognition of the globally significant ecological, environmental, scientific and historic values of the Ross Sea Region, and in line with the work plan of the Scientific Committee to develop a representative system of Antarctic MPAs, the New Zealand delegation proposes to establish this MPA in order to achieve the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources.  This proposal is consistent with the general framework for establishing CCAMLR marine protected areas (CM 91-04 (2011)) and with the process by which New Zealand developed its MPA scenario, reviewed favorably by the Scientific Committee in 2011.