The waters between approximately 45°S to the edge of Antarctica are dotted with small islands which are critical breeding sites for seabirds and marine mammals. The region also has a complex of seamounts including the Afrikaner II Rise, currently the site of a large amount of illegal fishing activity. It is also a favoured foraging site for many top predators, especially albatross. Antarctica and the surrounding Southern Ocean are unique in many ways and deserving of comprehensive, and many would argue absolute, protection.
