Progress on Southern Ocean protection and vessel activity

The IMO has agreed to consider additional provisions for vessels not covered by the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention in Step 2 or Phase 2 of the Polar Code. Most recently, Member States and international organizations were invited to submit further information to IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), the next meeting of which takes place in November 2016. Consequently, ASOC urges the CCAMLR Secretariat to provide comprehensive information on incidents in polar waters involving fishing vessels, and encourages Commission Members to submit to the IMO’s MSC national reports into incidents and accidents involving fishing vessels. Nevertheless, given the seriousness of recent incidents involving fishing vessels in the Convention Area, ASOC believes it is appropriate for CCAMLR to introduce additional measures to protect human life and the environment. These include requiring all licensed vessels to meet at least the ICE-1C ice classification standard and introducing a two-tier level of training for fishing vessel crews in the CCAMLR area via a new Conservation Measure.