New targets for managing Antarctica's wildlife

24 June 2015

New targets for managing Antarctica's wildlife

Earlier this month key scientists, policy makers and conservation managers from around the world met in Monaco to discuss an Antarctica Strategic Plan for Biodiversity.

Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are home to a rich and unique biodiversity. They remain the only regions where humans are not known to have caused the extinction of any species, and are virtually untouched by biological invasions.

Yet, the biodiversity outlook for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean appears to be no better than that for the rest of the globe and this is a real concern.

Until now Antarctica's wildlife has been left out of any global ‘status’ assessments.

“Populations of iconic Antarctic species such as Adélie penguins are known to be in decline in parts of Antarctica. Other Antarctic species have never been assessed as to how well they are doing - nor how they might fair under a changing climate,” says Antarctica New Zealand Environmental Consultant Dr Neil Gilbert, who attended the meeting.

“Scientists have publically expressed concern for the Emperor penguin, particularly over the coming decades as climate change is likely to have a significant impact on their breeding habitat – sea ice and ice shelves.

“For the rest of the world a series of biodiversity targets have been agreed, but not for Antarctica,” says Dr Gilbert, “to address this gap, a number of firm targets and objectives for managing Antarctica's wildlife has now been developed.”

The need to protect and conserve the region’s biodiversity is broadly recognised, notably through the 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. The Protocol sets aside Antarctica as a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science.

But over the past several decades, human activity, such as fishing, tourism and science, in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean has increased. In the face of such an increase, along with regionally significant major global impacts, such as climate change, it is imperative to establish the outlook for biodiversity in the Antarctic.

Although much biodiversity knowledge is being shared, participatory planning and reporting across the Antarctic remains fragmented and under-resourced.

HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco emphasised in his concluding speech to the Monaco meeting “I am convinced that common action from all countries and parties can improve the situation for the better.” He then committed the Government of Monaco and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation – (which aims to be a catalyst for environmental projects), to make every effort possible to ensure that science continues to prevail in this land with international cooperation.

The Monaco meeting concluded that a Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, adopted and implemented by the Antarctic Treaty Parties, and broadly accepted by all, would provide an effective means to improve the outlook for the regions. Much potential exists for improving the protected area network in both terrestrial and marine systems, and for assessing the extinction risk of the region’s species.

These actions, along with those required to achieve a set of Antarctic Biodiversity targets, in keeping with the ambitions of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, will ensure that the biodiversity of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean is conserved for the benefit of all humankind.

ENDS

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