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SOUTH AFRICA’S ROLE IN ANTARCTIC
& SOUTHERN OCEAN GOVERNANCE
To learn more about SA’s voyages of discovery: Antarctica and Southern Ocean islands, follow links below:
A LEADER IN POLAR STEWARDSHIP
COMMITMENT TO GLOBAL OCEAN STEWARDSHIP
South Africa plays a vital role in safeguarding the Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments through its active participation in international conservation and governance bodies.
Positioned at the gateway to Antarctica, South Africa’s scientific, environmental, and policy interests in the Southern Ocean are both strategic and deeply rooted in its commitment to global ocean stewardship.
THE ANTARCTIC TREATY SYSTEM: A FRAMEWORK FOR PEACE AND SCIENCE
At the heart of South Africa’s polar engagement is its membership in the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) - the foundation for governance across the Antarctic region.
The Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959 and in force since 1961, declares Antarctica a zone dedicated to peace and science. It prohibits military activity, supports freedom of scientific investigation, and promotes international cooperation.
BRIDGING AFRICA’S INTERESTS WITH THOSE OF THE BROADER INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
As one of only a handful of the member states - and the only one from Africa with territory in the region - South Africa has the right to participate in decision-making on Antarctic affairs. Through this role, it contributes to the shaping of measures, resolutions, and policies discussed at the Antarctic Treaty consultative meeting (ATCM), the treaty's main decision-making forum. At the ATCM, South Africa works alongside other nations to address key issues such as environmental protection, sustainable tourism, scientific collaboration, and the impacts of climate change on the polar regions. Its voice reflects both a national and regional perspective, bridging Africa's interests with those of the broader international community.
OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE
As a full member of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), established in 1982 under the Antarctic Treaty System, South Africa plays an important role in shaping how resources in the Southern Ocean are protected and managed. CCAMLR's main goal is to conserve Antarctic marine life while ensuring that the use of Southern Ocean resources is sustainable and based on sound science. To achieve this, the commission relies on several expert working groups that bring together scientists and policymakers from around the world.
These include the -
- Working Group on Ecosystem Monitoring and Management (WG-EMM), which tracks the health of Antarctic ecosystems and monitors the effects of environmental change.
- Working Group on Fish Stock Assessment (WG-FSA), which provide advice on multi-dimensional priority issues to the Scientific Committee regarding the status of key fish species and other marine living resources.
- Working Group on Acoustics, Survey and Analysis Methods (WG-SAM), which develops modern techniques to better understand marine.
- Other groups focus on data analysis, modelling, and reducing the accidental impacts of fishing on seabirds and other wildlife (WG-IMAF).
SUPPORTING INTERNATIONAL DECISION-MAKING AND ENSURING RESPONSIBLY MANAGED
MARINE ENVIRONMENTS ON EARTH
The active participation in these scientific and management bodies, in which South Africa contributes to; provides the technical, compliance, science, and management dynamic working packages which influence the conversation at the commission meeting in each year at the CCAMLR headquarters in Hobart (Australia).
Through this well-structured and topic specific working groups, South Africa supports international decision-making and helps ensure that the Southern Ocean remains one of the most carefully studied and responsibly managed marine environments on Earth.
South Africa’s involvement in CCAMLR extends beyond policy - it is grounded in research, compliance, and capacity-building. Through the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP), the country conducts marine research that informs ecosystem-based management and conservation planning in the region.
The Marion Island research station, situated within South Africa’s sub-Antarctic territory, serves as a critical base for studying marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
South African delegates for the CCAMLR annual Commission, Scientific Committee, and supporting working groups. From left to right: Mr Makhudu Masotla , Dr Zoleka Filander , Mr Sobahle Somhlaba, Prof Azwianewi Makhado, and Mr Johannes De Goede.
SOUTH AFRICA’S LEADERSHIP
IN THE COMMISSION FOR CONSERVATION OF ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES (CCAMLR) WORKING GROUP ON FISH STOCK ASSESSMENT (WG-FSA)
Mr Sobahle Somhlaba being thanked for serving as the WG-FSA Chair and Convenor since 2019 by Dr Steve Parker (CCAMLR’s Science Manager).
SHAPING INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO ENSURE THE SUSTAINABLE USE OF ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES
South Africa continues to play a prominent role in shaping international efforts to ensure the sustainable use of Antarctic marine living resources.
One of the most significant examples of this leadership is the country’s contribution to the Working Group on Fish Stock Assessment (WG-FSA) - a core scientific body of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).
The WG-FSA is responsible for assessing the status of fish populations in the Southern Ocean, including species such as the Antarctic toothfish and icefish, and for providing scientific advice on sustainable catch limits and conservation measures.
Its work underpins CCAMLR’s ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management and helps maintain the balance between conservation and responsible use of marine resources.
COMMITMENT TO EQUITABLE PARTICIPATION AND CAPACITY-BUILDING WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL ANTARCTIC RESEARCH COMMUNITY
For two consecutive terms, South Africa chaired the WG-FSA through Mr Sobahle Somhlaba, a fisheries scientist from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.
His chairmanship not only highlighted South Africa’s technical excellence in fisheries science but also its commitment to equitable participation and capacity-building within the international Antarctic research community. Through the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP) and its ongoing contributions to CCAMLR data, surveys, and modelling, the country continues to support the sound management of Antarctic fisheries for the benefit of current and future generations.
South Africa’s leadership within WG-FSA reflects its broader vision for the Southern Ocean - one that values science, cooperation, and stewardship at the heart of ocean governance.