Antarctica: The Battle for Its Habitat

The devastating news about the state of Antarctica shows no sign of letting up.

Sea ice is melting at a rapid pace, fish stocks are massively overexploited, and avian influenza was recently detected. The entire ecosystem of the Southern Ocean, so vital to the planet, is considered under threat.

But at the annual meeting in Hobart, Australia, the responsible governments missed the opportunity for a breakthrough in protecting Antarctic marine fauna and flora. The designation of critical marine protected areas, urgently demanded by environmental experts, remains a distant prospect. This is what participants reported at the conclusion of the meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) on Friday.

“It feels like we are taking one step forward and two steps back in protecting the Southern Ocean,” said Claire Christian of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition. “While it is some consolation that key protections have not been rolled back, CCAMLR’s persistent adherence to the status quo continues to fall short of the urgent decisions needed to address the climate and biodiversity crisis.”

The conference focuses specifically on a network of three large marine protected areas in East Antarctica, the Weddell Sea, and the waters of the Antarctic Peninsula. The enforcement of their protection has been blocked for years by opposition from Russia and China — as all CCAMLR decisions must be made unanimously.

Small crustaceans are climate heroes

Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) criticized China and Russia for their blockade on the establishment of new marine protected areas in Antarctica. The ongoing blockade by both countries once again illustrates that Russia "has long been written off as a constructive partner in global cooperation," Özdemir said on Friday. And China too is "giving preference to the exploitation of Antarctica's protected resources over scientific arguments," Özdemir complained.

At least, observers of the meeting speak of "small steps in the right direction." The participants reportedly agreed on a meeting to improve krill fisheries management in 2024. The tiny crustaceans are extremely important to Antarctica's fragile ecosystem, which includes animals such as whales and penguins. According to a WWF study, the little creatures are true climate heroes. The vast swarms sink up to 23 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the deep sea each year.

Krill is caught in massive quantities to produce oil, fish feed, and other animal feed. According to CCAMLR statistics, krill fishing increased from just under 105,000 tonnes to more than 415,000 tonnes between 2007 and 2022. The reason is larger and more modern vessels.

Small emperor penguin chicks drown

Marine protected areas aim to restrict human activities, particularly fishing, in the relevant areas in order to help the species living there withstand climatic changes.

The surface of the Antarctic ice shelf has never retreated as drastically since the beginning of scientific observations 45 years ago, the leading American observatory, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), reported in September.

The consequences for wildlife are already becoming apparent. A scientific study published in August found that "severe reproductive failure among emperor penguins" had occurred in several colonies due to melting sea ice. The chicks drowned as the ice gave way beneath their feet.

Of five colonies monitored in the Bellingshausen Sea region in western Antarctica, all but one suffered a "catastrophic" 100 percent loss of chicks, the researchers reported in Communications: Earth & Environment, a journal of the Springer Nature group.

Starting November 8, the One Planet – Polar Summit will take place in Paris, where researchers and politicians aim to agree on joint measures to protect the planet's polar ice regions. "I very much hope that this summit will usher in an era of accelerated protective measures," said Claire Christian of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition.

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