Page 41 - Research & Innovation Report 2020
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SCIENCE
The data reveals that the identification and protection of multiple Compliance is a major issue that has to be improved: “Our project
AESs at ocean scale through the mechanism of multinational is linked to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic
Marine Protected Area (MPA) expansion is urgently needed to Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) which is responsible for the
mitigate the pressure of large-scale resource exploitation on management of the water south of 60 degrees,” Pistorius explains.
Southern Ocean ecosystems.
“CCAMLR is in a strong position to recommend MPAs for
“We started using this approach, of using tracking data to identify multinational management which would help to enforce
important habitat for conservation purposes, in 2015, when one of compliance. The information we have gathered has sent clear
my postdoctoral students at Mandela University, Ryan Reisinger, guidelines to CCAMLR about the need for these MPAs to ensure
who is a co-lead author in the Nature paper, focused on tracking the long-term sustainability of marine resources, and to prevent
data from the Prince Edward Islands that make up South Africa’s overfishing. Another major challenge we are facing here is that
sub-Antarctic territory,” Prof Pistorius explains. “We collated all climate change is having a huge impact on Southern Ocean
the historical tracking data by various South African researchers ecosystems. With changing climatic conditions, we are also seeing
for these islands and through modelling we identified important changes in the distribution of important habitats and these shifts
habitats to feed into the South African government’s MPA ideally need to be catered for in marine spatial planning initiatives.
expansion strategy.
“What is encouraging is that the results of our study have attracted
“This was then followed up with the global initiative involving massive media coverage globally. There is also strong involvement
multiple nations, where we used tracking data from seabirds and among the authors of the paper within the Scientific Committee
mammals across the entire circumpolar Southern Ocean – across on Antarctic Research, which reports to CCAMLR which – in turn
the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans – in other words, all the – is well positioned to execute conservation-based management
water south of 40 degrees. Reisinger led the analysis of all this recommendations.”
tracking data.”
Hydro-acoustic ship-based surveys can be used to study the
distribution of fish and squid biomass, but because of the massive
expanse of the Southern Ocean this becomes logistically and
financially prohibitive. Using marine predators as indicators of these
biologically rich areas is now well recognised as a feasible alternative
with such information guiding marine spatial planning initiatives.
The findings from this large international collaboration that were
published in Nature are intended to inform spatial management
across the entire Southern Ocean, to recommend where MPAs
should be expanded or new MPAs created in areas of national
jurisdiction as well as in the high seas where there is no national
jurisdiction. The goal is to maximise biodiversity conservation in
areas of ecological importance. Prof Pierre Pistorius
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