Representatives of some thirty countries have approved a new declaration to advance the protection of Antarctic ecosystems, with special attention to the designation of new marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean.

Representatives of some thirty countries have approved a new declaration to advance the protection of Antarctic ecosystems, with special attention to the designation of new marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean. Thirty years after the signing of the Madrid Protocol (1991), key in the legal framework for the application of the Antarctic Treaty, the approval of the Madrid Declaration took place during a high-level session organised by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO).

During her speech, the Vice-President and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, recalled that “only 5% of the ocean surrounding Antarctica is protected”. A figure that would be insufficient to meet the new biodiversity conservation objectives that the international community is negotiating within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and that will be put to a vote in 2022 in China. In addition, he stressed that “marine protected areas contribute decisively to maintaining ecosystems and increasing their resilience to the impacts of climate change”.

Along these lines, in order to ensure responsible management of Antarctica, the document calls on the international community to cooperate at all levels and to make decisions that take into account scientific knowledge, since this shared activity has made it possible to better understand the needs for environmental protection.

In addition, it calls for new steps to be taken into account for the conservation of biodiversity in this environment that is particularly vulnerable to the pressure of human activity and the impact of climate change and underlines the importance of directing future efforts along the following lines: peaceful use of Antarctica, since as a nature reserve dedicated to peace and science, military measures are prohibited and could only be used for peaceful purposes; the importance of inter- and multidisciplinary scientific research, ecosystem monitoring and the exchange of scientific information that generates greater knowledge in order to anticipate and prevent environmental damage before it occurs;  the urgency of the fight against climate change, since due to their profound and often irreversible impacts, it is necessary to work actively and in a coordinated manner to undertake initiatives aimed at mitigation and adaptation to reduce the effects and impact of human activity; ensure that the planning and implementation of all activities in Antarctica take into account the protection of the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems; and the importance of conducting environmental impact assessments to limit adverse impacts on Antarctic ecosystems.

The Declaration also stresses the need to “pay special attention to the conservation of wildlife, marine biological diversity, the proper functioning of Antarctic ecosystems and the future development of the System of Antarctic Protected Areas“. In the same way, the text encourages the member nations of the Antarctic Treaty system to assume the mandate of their Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and designate new marine protected areas (MPAs).

There are currently three proposals for new BEPs: East Antarctica and Weddell Sea, which is under development, and Antarctic Peninsula, which is in the development phase. All of them will be debated throughout the month of October in the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.

In this way, these commitments strengthen international cooperation in order to overcome the environmental challenges facing Antarctica, and enhance its value as a nature reserve for future generations.