Precautionary fisheries management: the CCAMLR approach

Article II of the CCAMLR Convention sets out three principles of conservation for harvesting activity in the Convention Area: (1) prevention of population decline to levels which threaten stable recruitment of harvested species, (2) maintenance of ecological relationships between the harvested, dependent and related species, and (3) minimization of the risk of ecosystem changes that are not potentially reversible in 20–30 yr. These principles form the basis for the application of the precautionary approach in the management of Antarctic fisheries. Two aspects of CCAMLRʹs work are discussed: the assessment of catch limits in accordance with the Convention and the management of new and exploratory fisheries.