Annual report 2005-06.indd - Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems ...

policyProject reportsPOL-01: Improving theeffectiveness of SouthernOcean regimesProject leaderMarcus Haward, UTASProject staffJ Jabour, R Hall, A Kellow, L Kriwoken, G Lugten,UTASProject AimWe are assessing the effectiveness of relevantinternational and regional instruments andregimes, given domestic effect in Australiathrough national legislation and policy, andidentifying gaps, strengths and weaknesses inthese regimes. A key question is the relationshipbetween the Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC)and the Antarctic Treaty System. While much hasbeen written on this nexus, the question of therelationship between these instruments is not yetfully explored, nor how this relationship affectsother regimes that cover the Southern Ocean.Key achievements in 2005-06• Refinement of inventory of regimes.• First stage analysis linking key legislativeresponsibilities and internationalcommitments with ACE CRC science outputs.POL-02: Whaling and themanagement of cetaceans inthe Southern OceanProject leaderJulia Jabour, UTASProject staffE Molenaar, UTAS/NILOSProject AimThis research addresses the pro-whaling/conservation deadlock in the IWC over whalingin the global oceans, and the Southern Oceanin particular, from the Australian strategic policyperspective. The Southern Ocean is a whalesanctuary under the International Conventionfor the Regulation of Whaling, with limitedprescribed scientific research by lethal means(scientific ‘whaling’). Australia is fundamentallyopposed to the use of lethal techniques inresearch on cetaceans and recently transferredresponsibility for cetacean conservation to theAustralian Antarctic Division.Key achievements in 2005-06• Project was competed in August 2005 andcopies of the report were circulated to fourkey Australian Government stakeholders.• The project determined that Australia’scurrent policy position raises consistencyissues under international law related to theprincipal of ‘good faith’.• The report is being converted into a 7,000word book chapter for publication in anotherACE CRC Policy Program output – a proposedbook entitled Australia’s Antarctic Agendathat also involves research outcomes fromPOL-01 and POL-05.POL-03: The challenges fordemersal and pelagic fisheriesmanagement in the SouthernOceanProject leaderMarcus Haward, UTASProject staffG Lugten, UTAS; E Molenaar, UTAS/NILOSProject AimThis research centres on the problems of illegal,unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing inthe Southern Ocean and within the ExclusiveEconomic Zones (EEZs) of states, including theAustralian EEZ off Heard and Macdonald Islandand Macquarie Island. It addresses the efficacyof existing instruments, institutions and practice,including the science-policy interface, to combatthis problem.Key achievements in 2005-06• Publications on enforcement and compliancein Southern Ocean fisheries.• Completion of survey on the extent ofthe science-policy gap in marine resourcemanagement.Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems CRC - Annual Report 2005-06 51