Vessel Safety in the Antarctic Treaty Area
The Representatives,
Recalling the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty and Resolution 1 (2004), which strongly supported “the progress achieved by CCAMLR Resolution 20/XXII urging its Members, which are harvesting in high Antarctic latitudes, to license only those fishing vessels with at least an ice classification standard of ICE-1C”;
Convinced of the continuing need for comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems;
Registering concern about the continued occurrence of incidents involving stricken fishing vessels licensed by Members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (“CCAMLR”) in the Antarctic region;
Noting the role of the International Maritime Organization (“IMO”) with regard to vessel safety internationally;
Further recalling actions taken by CCAMLR to support the IMO in relation to the activities of fishing vessels operating in the Southern Ocean;
Reaffirming the role of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting to promote the protection of the Antarctic environment in the Antarctic Treaty area;
Recommend that their Governments:
1. continue to work on the International Maritime Organization mandatory code for ships operating in Polar waters and participate in the forthcoming negotiations on the Agreement on the Torremolinos Protocol ;
2. consider appropriate measures to enhance the safety standards of fishing vessels that are flagged to Parties and that operate in the Antarctic Treaty area;
3. report annually to the Committee for Environmental Protection on responses to environmental emergencies involving vessels that are flagged to Parties and that operate in the Antarctic Treaty area in accordance with Article 17 of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty;
4. remind the operators of their flagged fishing vessels of the IMO Global Search and Rescue Plan and, specifically, to urge Members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources to provide or encourage fishing vessels under their flag to make available their contact details and other relevant information to the responsible Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in advance of entering the Antarctic Treaty area in line with CCAMLR Resolution 33/XXX; and
5. encourage CCAMLR Members to implement CCAMLR Resolution 20/XXII, which calls on Members to license only those fishing vessels with a minimum ice classification standard ICE-1C to operate within the Antarctic Treaty area.
The Representatives,
Recalling the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty and Resolution 1 (2004), which strongly supported “the progress achieved by CCAMLR Resolution 20/XXII urging its Members, which are harvesting in high Antarctic latitudes, to license only those fishing vessels with at least an ice classification standard of ICE-1C”;
Convinced of the continuing need for comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems;
Registering concern about the continued occurrence of incidents involving stricken fishing vessels licensed by Members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (“CCAMLR”) in the Antarctic region;
Noting the role of the International Maritime Organization (“IMO”) with regard to vessel safety internationally;
Further recalling actions taken by CCAMLR to support the IMO in relation to the activities of fishing vessels operating in the Southern Ocean;
Reaffirming the role of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting to promote the protection of the Antarctic environment in the Antarctic Treaty area;
Recommend that their Governments:
1. continue to work on the International Maritime Organization mandatory code for ships operating in Polar waters and participate in the forthcoming negotiations on the Agreement on the Torremolinos Protocol ;
2. consider appropriate measures to enhance the safety standards of fishing vessels that are flagged to Parties and that operate in the Antarctic Treaty area;
3. report annually to the Committee for Environmental Protection on responses to environmental emergencies involving vessels that are flagged to Parties and that operate in the Antarctic Treaty area in accordance with Article 17 of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty;
4. remind the operators of their flagged fishing vessels of the IMO Global Search and Rescue Plan and, specifically, to urge Members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources to provide or encourage fishing vessels under their flag to make available their contact details and other relevant information to the responsible Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in advance of entering the Antarctic Treaty area in line with CCAMLR Resolution 33/XXX; and
5. encourage CCAMLR Members to implement CCAMLR Resolution 20/XXII, which calls on Members to license only those fishing vessels with a minimum ice classification standard ICE-1C to operate within the Antarctic Treaty area.
