The US has accused the UK of breaching international law after London unilaterally issued fishing licenses to operate in Antarctic areas outside the current norms issued by the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the AP has reported citing correspondence between unnamed US lawmakers.
CCAMLR is the global body which regulates fishing limits and regions to prevent biodiversity reduction in the Antarctic, and any disregard of its decisions by both US and foreign vessels is considered to be illegal and effectively poaching under US law.
Recently, London opted to unilaterally issue fishing licenses for the coast of South Georgia, a small UK-controlled island in the Antarctic. The move prompted condemnation from Washington, which warned that it violated current CCAMLR rules, rendering the catch illegal, according to the AP.
As a result, US officials have reportedly threatened to ban some British fish imports of catches caught near the location.
In a comment for The Guardian, a UK Foreign Office spokesperson defended the permits, claiming that London decided to unilaterally issue licenses to catch Patagonia toothfish, a local endemic species that is highly valued by fishermen, “within the framework agreed by all CCAMLR members”. The spokesperson said that the move is intended as a countermeasure against Russia’s alleged "egregious [block]" of new fishing agreements for the region at the CCAMLR’s November 2021 meeting.
However, Russia was not the only country blocking the passing of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which limit fishing rights in the Antarctic, during the November 2021 CCAMLR gathering. China also vetoed their approval, with both countries citing scientific concerns which were disregarded by other members.
Despite the vetoes, both Russia and China are likely keen to negotiate new MPAs to advance plans to significantly expand Antarctic krill fishing – a booming sphere in the industry.
November was the fifth time in a row that CCAMLR members failed to agree on new MPAs and opted to stick with pre-existing fishing norms. The UK's move to disregard the CCAMLR decision is the first time that a member-state has violated the global body’s rules in 40 years.