The Royal Navy’s Ice Patrol ship HMS Protector visited Hobart in December (2015) at the start of a five week patrol to the East Antarctic and Ross Sea.
The patrol aimed to support the work of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources in upholding the conservation rules of the Antarctic Treaty system and to protect the unique Southern Ocean and Antarctic ecosystem from illegal fishing activities.
During the patrol HMS Protector, with the support of six embarked Australian and New Zealand specialists, inspected a number of fishing vessels to ensure they adhered to the strict licensing regulations in the area.
While the ship was in Hobart, Australia and the United Kingdom agreed to shared Antarctic priorities over the next five years. Commitments include: an annual Antarctic dialogue; enhanced scientific and logistical cooperation; closer cooperation to better protect Antarctica’s unique environment, including by establishing marine protected areas in East Antarctica and the Ross Sea region; and joint efforts to strengthen the Antarctic Treaty system.