CCAS72-78
Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals
The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (CCAS) is an international Convention that is part of the Antarctic Treaty System. The Convention calls Contracting Parties to meet within 5 years of entry into force, and at least every 5 years thereafter, to review the operation of the Convention. The aim of the Convention is to promote and achieve the objectives of protection, scientific study and rational use of Antarctic seals and to maintain a balance within the ecological system. The Convention applies to the seas south of 60° South Latitude. The CCAS recognizes the general concern about the vulnerability of Antarctic seals to commercial exploitation and the consequent need for effective conservation measures. Since the stocks of Antarctic seals are an important living resource in the marine environment, an international agreement for its effective conservation is needed. Any harvesting should therefore be regulated so as not to exceed the levels of the optimum sustainable yield. Every effort should be made to encourage research on Antarctic seal populations and to gain information from such research and from the statistics of future sealing operations. The Convention is applicable to the following species: the southern elephant seal, the leopard seal, the weddell seal, the crabeater seal, the ross seal and the southern fur seal. CCAS was adopted on June 1, 1972 in London and entered into force on 11 March 1978.