Conservation Bloc Stands Firm as Fishing Expansion Stalls in Hobart

After two weeks of negotiations in Hobart, Australia, the 44th annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) closed on 31 October 2025 without consensus on new protection measures for the Southern Ocean. Despite the impasse, conservation advocates say the session marked a growing show of resolve among nations committed to safeguarding Antarctica’s fragile ecosystems.

“This year, conservation-minded countries showed that the future of Antarctica cannot be dictated by those who put fishing before protection,” said Claire Christian, Executive Director of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC). “Key proponents refused to compromise on science, stood united in defense of marine life, and sent a clear signal that CCAMLR’s founding purpose of conservation must come first.”

Conservation Bloc Resists Krill Fishery Expansion

A coalition of Members — including Chile, Argentina, the European Union and its Member States, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea — successfully resisted proposals to expand industrial krill fishing in predator-rich waters. These areas are crucial feeding grounds for penguins, seals, and whales, which depend on krill as a primary food source.

At the core of this year’s debate were two interconnected issues: the creation of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) for the Antarctic Peninsula and the management of the krill fishery that overlaps much of the same region. For years, Members have sought to align these discussions, recognizing that sustainable harvest management and habitat protection are inseparable.

However, this year saw renewed efforts by a small number of delegations to separate the two, prioritizing expanded fishing access over ecosystem safeguards.

“You can’t claim to manage krill sustainably while ignoring the penguins, whales, and seals that depend on it,” said Emily Grilly, Ocean Conservation Manager at WWF-Australia. “The science is clear: healthy predator populations rely on healthy krill populations. Preserving this delicate ecosystem balance requires both robust, precautionary management and designation of protected areas.”

Marine Protection Proposals Still on Hold

The Antarctic Peninsula MPA, co-led by Chile and Argentina and supported by more than 150 scientific studies, remains one of four proposals awaiting adoption by CCAMLR. Together, these initiatives would protect 26% of the Southern Ocean — equivalent to nearly 3% of the global ocean — if approved.

While no new MPA was adopted, observers say this year’s alignment among conservation-oriented Members could mark a turning point. The bloc’s united stance signals increasing determination to restore CCAMLR’s credibility as a conservation body and to align its decisions with broader international commitments such as the High Seas Treaty and the Global Biodiversity Framework target to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030.

Missed Opportunities on Climate and Habitat Protection

The meeting also failed to designate a new Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem (VME) despite clear evidence of fragile seafloor species captured in underwater video. Only two Members opposed the measure, blocking its adoption. The footage was consistent with evidence used in previous years to approve 11 other VMEs, leaving scientists and observers questioning CCAMLR’s consistency.

Climate change impacts were another central theme that produced little tangible progress. Although CCAMLR has agreed in principle to integrate climate considerations into all areas of its work, no new measures were adopted to address rapidly changing conditions in the Southern Ocean.

“Antarctica is warming faster than almost anywhere else on Earth, yet CCAMLR continues to treat climate change as an afterthought,” said Eunhee Kim, Executive Director of the Climate Ocean Research Institute. “Acting on the alarming evidence of Antarctic climate change is essential to ensuring the resilience of Antarctic ecosystems.”

Recent scientific findings indicate that warming seas and shifting ice patterns are reshaping krill distribution, threatening key breeding grounds for seabirds and mammals. Conservationists argue that without decisive action, CCAMLR’s ability to fulfill its founding mandate — the conservation of Antarctic marine life — will continue to erode.

Incremental Progress on Transparency

One area of progress came with new rules on transshipment, the practice of transferring people, supplies, or catch between vessels at sea — a process often linked to illegal or unreported fishing. Under the new agreement, all transshipping vessels must now be publicly listed, bringing CCAMLR’s standards closer to global best practices in fisheries transparency and accountability.

The reform was welcomed by ocean governance experts, who have long called for tighter monitoring of transshipment activities to prevent misreporting and overfishing.

A Test of CCAMLR’s Future

CCAMLR, established in 1982 as part of the Antarctic Treaty System, was once considered a model of science-based marine governance. Yet the body’s consensus-based decision-making process has increasingly led to deadlock, with a small number of opposing Members able to block conservation measures despite overwhelming support.

“While the rest of the world is advancing bold new commitments to protect the ocean, CCAMLR remains at a standstill,” said Christian. “The determination shown by many countries this year proves that change is possible. But without real action, this once-pioneering body risks being left behind by global momentum.”

The stalemate underscores growing geopolitical tension between conservation priorities and fishing interests in the Southern Ocean, particularly as climate change accelerates ecosystem shifts.

Still, the show of unity among a broad coalition of conservation-oriented Members suggests that CCAMLR’s vision of balancing use and protection — enshrined more than four decades ago — continues to hold relevance. Whether that vision can be realized in practice will depend on whether political will can match the urgency of the science.