Helping seabirds, seals and whales. Enhanced protection for a large Marine Protected Area in the South Atlantic

The South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Marine Protected Area, showing the newly closed areas

A further expansion of the protection of waters surrounding South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Islas Georgias del Sur y Islas Sandwich del Sur)* has been recently announced, following a second five-year review.  This comes after a previous expansion in 2019 after the first 5-year review of the MPA.  It is considered to be a “crucial step in conserving a unique and vital ecosystem”.  The 1.24 million km² South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Marine Protected Area was established in 2012.

 Based on new research on “climate impacts, whale population dynamics, toothfish habitats and penguin foraging”, the MPA is to extend full protections by being closed to all fishing activity across an additional 166 000 km² (increasing their area from 283 000 km² to 449 000 km²).  This will result in c. 36% of the MPA falling under no-take protection.  “During the five months when highly regulated, licensed fishing is permitted, 40% of the MPA will now be closed to krill fishing, with 95% closed to longline fishing”. Closure to longline fishing is significant as it is an important cause of mortality of the albatrosses and some of the petrels that breed in numbers on South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur)*.  Further, the whole MPA remains closed to bottom trawl fishing, which can also be a source of seabird mortality,

Enhanced marine protection is welcome for this inquisitive Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris on its nest on Bird Island, photograph by Richard Phillips

The announcement of enhanced protection for a very large MPA around a seabird breeding island  is welcome in a year when the Albatross and Petrel Agreement has chosen “Marine Protected Areas – Safeguarding our Oceans” as its theme for World Albatross Day on 19 June 2024,

Read more about the MPA enhancement here and about other very large MPAs around island supporting ACAP-supported breeding species here.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 07 March 2024

*A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Islas Georgias del Sur y Islas Sandwich del Sur) and the surrounding maritime areas.