CCAMLR Internship Blog
By Natalia Perez
I am currently a graduate student at The Fletcher School at Tufts University in the Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy program, where I am specializing in environmental and marine policy. I have always been interested in the intersection between international affairs and marine science and policy.
This past summer, I participated in an eight-week internship with the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which is an international environmental organization consisting of 27 member states and 10 acceding states based in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. CCAMLR was founded in 1982 to conserve and manage marine living resources in the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica. This was due to an increase in krill fishing and the necessity to sustainably manage the marine ecosystem. The Commission meets annually for two weeks in October at the Headquarters in Hobart to discuss various topics, including conservation measures, ecosystem science, and fisheries compliance status. In addition to the annual meeting, there are numerous special meetings held throughout the year. During the time I was in Hobart, CCAMLR had a topical meeting in Santiago, Chile, focused on marine protected areas. I had previously completed research on the two established and three proposed marine protected areas, and it was great to be at the CCAMLR Secretariat during this time as I got to hear firsthand from colleagues on their experience at the meeting and their perspectives on establishing new marine protected areas in the future.
During my internship, I mainly worked with the Fisheries Monitoring and Compliance team on a research project about krill fisheries and designing a potential catch documentation scheme. This involved research into the krill supply chain and trade process, existing conservation measures governing krill fisheries, and the science and management of krill fisheries. In addition, I spoke with members of the delegation of the United States to CCAMLR about their original proposal to improve krill fisheries management. I also spoke with representatives from the krill fishing industry to gain a better understanding of the commercial aspect of krill fisheries, the types of gear used to process krill on board the fishing vessels, and a greater idea of the involvement of carrier vessels in the supply chain process. It was a great professional experience to get to speak with those involved in these distinct areas.
The two main types of fisheries permitted within the waters surrounding Antarctica are Dissostichus spp. (toothfish) and Euphausia superba (Antarctic krill). The toothfish fishery has an existing catch documentation scheme to track the movement of toothfish from harvesting to landing at a port, which has been in place since 2000. Antarctic krill, while being an important part of the Antarctic marine ecosystem, does not currently have a similar system in place to track the movement of krill after harvesting. Throughout the research I conducted, I learned that krill must be immediately frozen or processed once it is brought on board fishing vessels, and it is typically processed into krill oil, meal, paste, or powder. Once krill is processed, it is often transported onto separate carrier vessels to then be taken to a port. While the general supply chain steps are known, I identified areas where there is a lack of accessible data to verify the movement of krill products and potential next steps, for the Commission to consider.
During the first few weeks of my internship, I took the opportunity to meet with the Executive Secretary and managers of each section within the CCAMLR Secretariat to better understand the roles of each division and how they all contribute to the overall mission of the Commission. I spoke with the Science, Communications, and Data and Information Systems teams and each offered a new perspective into the organization.
I enjoyed participating in meetings on various topics, and I am thankful that I was able to contribute to the work being done at the Secretariat while gaining experience within an international environmental organization dedicated to conserving Antarctic marine living resources. There were visits from representatives from the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat and an ambassador during my time in Hobart that I was lucky enough to be able to attend. These instances provided an opportunity to share my research on krill fisheries while learning from them.
In addition to my time at the office, I was able to explore the wildlife, animals, and nature around Tasmania on the weekends. I took a ferry over to Maria Island National Park, where I saw wallabies, wombats, kangaroos, and pademelons roaming freely on the island, a pod of common dolphins and seals around Bruny Island, the cliffs around the Tasman Peninsula, and wandered around the Port Arthur Historic Site. Near the capital, there is a wildlife sanctuary with Tasmanian devils, echidnas, kangaroos, and other animals unique to Tasmania. The opportunity to explore these varying landscapes and nature provided a greater immersive experience into the Antarctic maritime atmosphere of Hobart and this special part of Australia.
I am grateful for the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy for supporting this internship as it has been an unforgettable experience both professionally and personally in a field I have always been passionate about. I am looking forward to starting my second year at the Fletcher School and contributing the knowledge and experience I have gained within the environmental, marine, and Antarctic law and policy fields through this internship. My internship experience with CCAMLR has further confirmed this as an area I would like to continue working in after graduation, and I’m looking forward to future opportunities in the maritime field.
Natalia Perez is a MALD student at The Fletcher School, Tufts University.