Recommendation 32

The failure of negotiations at CCAMLR in 2024 exposed significant vulnerabilities in the governance of Southern Ocean fisheries. As diminishing sea ice makes Antarctica more accessible, effective regulation, particularly of krill fishing, is becoming increasingly urgent. CCAMLR’s consensus-based decision-making has proven inadequate in moments of political tension, undermining its ability to maintain precautionary fishing limits. Without reform, the risk of future deadlock will grow, leaving key marine ecosystems exposed to overexploitation. (Conclusion, Paragraph 176)