Government to Strengthen International Cooperation on Antarctic Marine Environment and Biodiversity Conservation

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 31st that it attended the '40th Annual Meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)' held via video conference from the 18th to the 29th of this month to discuss measures for protecting the Antarctic marine environment and living organisms.

CCAMLR is an intergovernmental organization established in 1982 for the conservation of the Antarctic marine environment. It includes 26 member countries such as Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union (EU), and China. At this meeting, held on the 40th anniversary of its founding, CCAMLR adopted a joint declaration covering the conservation of the Antarctic marine environment and living organisms, eradication of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and strengthening international cooperation for scientific research.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, considering Korea as a co-proposer of the designation proposal for marine protected areas in the East Antarctic and Weddell Sea, actively urged the adoption of the proposal and also participated in discussions on climate change response. With the need for revision of the member countries' compliance monitoring procedures emerging, Korea agreed to take on the chair role of the virtual working group activities until the next annual meeting. At this annual meeting, the fishing applications of nine Korean fishing vessels for the 2021?2022 fishing season were also finally approved.

Woo Dongsik, Director of International Cooperation Policy at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, stated, "Through this meeting, Korea has solidified its position as a leading country in protecting Antarctic marine life and the marine environment."

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