pdf IP024: Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) within the Antarctic Treaty area

ATCM XLIII and CEP XXIII 2021, Paris, France / Online

Information Paper

IP024: Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) within the Antarctic Treaty area - An international collaboration to inform habitatrelated conservation decisionmaking and conservation planning for marine mammal species

Joint paper with IUCN

Submitted: 30 April 2021

Summary:

An international group of scientists from 11 countries and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB), including those holding or having access to long-term marine mammal data and having experience of working with marine mammals in the Extended Southern Ocean region, came together for five days to nominate candidate Important Marine Mammal Areas (cIMMAs), as determined by a set of criteria supported by specific evidence. At the conclusion of the five days, 15 cIMMAs were submitted to an independent review panel and 13 were later approved as IMMAs: Four IMMAs are located wholly or partially within the Antarctic Treaty area. These are now listed and shown on the IMMA e-Atlas with access to shapefile and background information (https://www.marinemammalhabitat.org/imma-eatlas/). The outcomes of this work may be useful in the development of spatial conservation measures.

ATCM - Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting
CEP - Committee for Environmental Protection
43rd Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting
14 - 24 June 2021