Protecting Antarctica

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are scientifically proven to be the most effective way to limit damage caused by human activities and support a vibrant, healthy ocean.

By creating large zones where certain activities are restricted or prevented, MPAs can reduce stress on the ocean and its ecosystems, helping them build resilience to climate change.

CCAMLR is responsible for designating and regulating MPAs in the Southern Ocean, and has been working towards creating a representative system of MPAs around Antarctica since 2002. In 2009, all Members made a formal agreement to realize this network by 2012.

Despite overwhelming scientific evidence to support the establishment of new Antarctic marine protected areas, and despite the efforts of many Members, only 5% of the Southern Ocean has been protected, and CCAMLR’s own deadline has long since passed.

ASOC advocates strongly for a representative network of MPAs in the Southern Ocean, starting with existing proposals in East Antarctica, the Weddell Sea, and the Antarctic Peninsula.

Learn more about our ongoing campaign for Antarctic Marine Protected Areas. 

Read ASOC policy papers and reports to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).

Antarctica’s Environmental Protocol provides a legally binding set of conservation measures that covers most activities in the Antarctic Treaty area. However, although it entered into force in 1998, some important provisions of the Protocol still haven’t been put in place. For example, we are still waiting for a system of protected areas to be created, and a liability regime to be established.

ASOC campaigns for full and effective implementation of the Environmental Protocol so Antarctica will be governed to the highest standard of environmental protection possible. 

Our primary focus is on building Antarctic ecosystem resilience in the face of the climate crisis. 

We present timely, science-based policy proposals at meetings of Antarctic governance organizations, providing Treaty parties with reliable information on how to protect the Antarctic environment. We also share this information with the broader public, promoting actions that will secure a climate-safe future.

We advocate for policies that reduce the stress on Antarctic ecosystems from human activities such as fishing, tourism, and scientific research. We strongly support deep cuts to global carbon emissions, which represent the greatest threat to the integrity of Antarctica today.

Read ASOC policy papers and reports to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM).

Read ASOC policy papers and reports to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).

Photo credit: Bob Zuur

The question of who is liable for environmental damage in Antarctica is critical to its protection. An environmental emergency in Antarctica would be disastrous and costly to remedy, with grave consequences for fragile ecosystems in areas that are extremely difficult to access. 

Despite decades of negotiation, the question of who is liable for damage caused in the Antarctic Treaty Area remains unanswered. If there was a major environmental incident in Antarctic waters, there are several unknowns: who is responsible for coordinating the cleanup response? Who pays for the repair work? Who ensures that it’s done, and done well? How is this enforced? And what happens if the responsible parties refuse to do the work? Without answers to these questions, an environmental crisis could turn into a global disaster. 

As the Exxon Valdez oil spill showed us in the 1980s, environmental emergencies in remote areas are costly, time-consuming and resource-intensive to remediate. Establishing liability for environmental damage in Antarctica is essential, both to promote accountability among those operating in Antarctica, and to discourage high-risk activities.

ASOC continues to advocate for the adoption of preventative regulations that both deter parties and operators from taking risks that could cause environmental damage, and establish liability in advance of an incident.