Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals
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The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (CCAS) is part of the
Antarctic Treaty System russian: link=no, Договор об Антарктике es, link=no, Tratado Antártico , name = Antarctic Treaty System , image = Flag of the Antarctic Treaty.svgborder , image_width = 180px , caption ...
. It was signed at the conclusion of a multilateral conference in London on February 11, 1972.


Contents

CCAS had the objective "to promote and achieve the protection, scientific study, and rational use of Antarctic
seals Seals may refer to: * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means of a ...
, and to maintain a satisfactory balance within the ecological system of Antarctica. CCAS forbids the killing or capture of Antarctic seals except in specific circumstances. The contracting parties of CCAS may decide the standards for killing and capture as dynamics of the seal populations change, and these decisions should be "based upon the best scientific and technical evidence available". CCAS also mandates communication between the different countries that signed it regarding all research, hunting, and capture of seals. The scientific aspect of this communication is done through the
Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is an interdisciplinary body of the International Science Council (ISC). SCAR coordinates international scientific research efforts in Antarctica, including the Southern Ocean. SCAR's scien ...
.


Scope

The geographic range of the agreement covers all seas south of 60°S latitude. It protects the following seal species: * '' Mirounga leonina'' Southern elephant seal * '' Hydrurga leptonyx'' Leopard seal * '' Leptonychotes weddelli'' Weddell seal * ''Lobodon carcinophagus'' Crabeater seal * '' Ommatophoca rossi'' Ross seal * ''Arctocephalus sp.'' Southern fur seals At the time of creation, all fur seals in the Antarctic area where in the genus ''Arctocephalus'', however since then many species formerly in that genus have been reclassified under '' Arctophoca'' with only ''A. pusillus'' remaining.


History

Shortly after the discovery of Antarctica, people began hunting seals at an unsustainable rate. Many species were close to extinction before the signing of CCAS. It was opened for ratification on June 1, 1972, and entered into force on March 11, 1978. The 17 parties to CCAS are
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
,
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
,
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
,
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
,
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
,
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
, and the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
.
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
has signed, but not ratified the convention. The countries meet at least every five years after 1972 to review CCAS, as is mandated in Article 7.


References

1978 in Antarctica Antarctica agreements Cold War treaties Seal conservation Environmental treaties Treaties concluded in 1972 Treaties entered into force in 1978 1978 in the environment Treaties of Argentina Treaties of Australia Treaties of Belgium Treaties of the military dictatorship in Brazil Treaties of Canada Treaties of Chile Treaties of France Treaties of West Germany Treaties of Italy Treaties of Japan Treaties of Norway Treaties of the Polish People's Republic Treaties of the Soviet Union Treaties of South Africa Treaties of the United States Treaties of the United Kingdom Animal treaties {{Antarctica-stub