| Summary: | International audience Prior to the inception of the Antarctic Treaty (AT), marine mammals and fish stocks were commercially overexploited in the Southern Ocean (SO) without regard for the consequences for individual species and for the ecosystems. The AT resulted in the development of bodies with an interest in ecosystem-based management, which in turn stimulated a large number of marine ecology studies. These studies, largely undertaken under the umbrella of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), have been ongoing for 30 years and resulted in the development of a wealth of scientific knowledge on SO marine ecology. Despite the knowledge acquired, effective protection measures for SO marine ecosystems are still lacking and recent development of a Ross Sea Antarctic toothfish fishery has the potential to alter ecosystem structure and function of regions of the SO until today relatively untouched by human activities. The Antarctic toothfish is a top predator with slow growth rates and delayed maturity. Removals of corresponding species in other marine ecosystems altered the equilibrium of the food webs, determined trophic cascades, and reduced the value of the ecosystem services. Concern for the expansion of the Antarctic toothfish fishery has been expressed by the SO scientific community and by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Despite the importance of these issues, the general public and the non-specialized scientific community seem not understand that even with the high level of environmental protection assured to the Antarctic continent through the AT the threats to SO ecosystems still remain. A way to ensure protection of SO ecosystems is through development of a network of representative marine protected areas (MPAs) where fishing activities are strictly regulated or excluded. More than 500 Antarctic and non-Antarctic scientists supported designation of a MPA for the whole Ross Sea and 15 environmental ...
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