Revised Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions
The Representatives,
Recalling Article 3 of Annex V to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty which provides for the designation of Antarctic Specially Protected Areas;
Recalling that paragraph 2 of Article 3 of Annex V states that Parties shall seek to identify such areas “within a systematic environmental-geographical framework”;
Recalling also that the preamble to Resolution 6 (2012) welcomed “the classification of the ice-free areas of the Antarctic continent and close lying islands within the Antarctic Treaty area into 15 biologically distinct Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions”;
Welcoming the advice of the Committee for Environmental Protection that the Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions should be updated to reflect the most recent analyses of the spatial distribution of Antarctic terrestrial biodiversity, including the identification of a 16th biologically distinct region;
Recommend to their Governments that:
1. the revised Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions annexed to this Resolution (“ACBRs Version 2”) be used in conjunction with the Environmental Domains Analysis and other tools agreed within the Antarctic Treaty system to support activities relevant to the interests of the Parties, including as a dynamic model for the identification of areas that could be designated as Antarctic Specially Protected Areas within the systematic environmental-geographical framework referred to in paragraph 2 of Article 3 of Annex V to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty; and
2. the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat post the text of Resolution 6 (2012) on its website in a way that makes clear that it is no longer current.
The Representatives,
Recalling Article 3 of Annex V to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty which provides for the designation of Antarctic Specially Protected Areas;
Recalling that paragraph 2 of Article 3 of Annex V states that Parties shall seek to identify such areas “within a systematic environmental-geographical framework”;
Recalling also that the preamble to Resolution 6 (2012) welcomed “the classification of the ice-free areas of the Antarctic continent and close lying islands within the Antarctic Treaty area into 15 biologically distinct Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions”;
Welcoming the advice of the Committee for Environmental Protection that the Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions should be updated to reflect the most recent analyses of the spatial distribution of Antarctic terrestrial biodiversity, including the identification of a 16th biologically distinct region;
Recommend to their Governments that:
1. the revised Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions annexed to this Resolution (“ACBRs Version 2”) be used in conjunction with the Environmental Domains Analysis and other tools agreed within the Antarctic Treaty system to support activities relevant to the interests of the Parties, including as a dynamic model for the identification of areas that could be designated as Antarctic Specially Protected Areas within the systematic environmental-geographical framework referred to in paragraph 2 of Article 3 of Annex V to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty; and
2. the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat post the text of Resolution 6 (2012) on its website in a way that makes clear that it is no longer current.
