Protecting Antarctica

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are an effective tool for conserving marine ecosystems, reducing pressures from human activities such as fishing and shipping, and helping ecosystems build resilience to climate change. By restricting or preventing certain activities in designated areas, MPAs can protect important habitats, biodiversity, and ecosystem processes.

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) is responsible for designating and regulating MPAs in the Southern Ocean. Since 2002, CCAMLR Members have worked towards establishing a representative network of MPAs around Antarctica, with a formal commitment in 2009 to achieve this goal by 2012.

Despite strong scientific evidence supporting further protection and the efforts of many CCAMLR Members, progress towards completing this network has been slow. To date, only a small proportion of the Southern Ocean has been designated as protected areas, and CCAMLR’s original target has not been met.

ASOC participates in annual CCAMLR meetings in Hobart, Australia, providing scientific analysis and policy advice to support decision-makers in advancing conservation outcomes for the Southern Ocean, including the designation of new MPAs.

Learn more about our Marine Protected Areas campaigns. 

Read ASOC policy papers and reports to CCAMLR.

The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (commonly known as the Environmental Protocol or Madrid Protocol) is a key instrument of the Antarctic Treaty System. Signed in Madrid on 4 October 1991 and entering into force in 1998, the Protocol establishes legally binding environmental protections and places environmental considerations at the centre of all activities undertaken in Antarctica.

Although the Protocol has been in force for more than 25 years, some important provisions remain incomplete. These include the establishment of further measures relating to Antarctic Specially Protected Areas under Article 12(1)(g), and the entry into force of a liability regime for environmental emergencies under Article 16 through Annex VI.

ASOC campaigns for the full implementation of the Environmental Protocol, ensuring that its original vision and commitments are translated into effective protection for the Antarctic environment.

Read our policy paper on the implementation of Annexes to the Environmental Protocol (2025).

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

ASOC sends a delegation to all major Antarctic governance meetings, where we engage with decision makers, submit policy papers, and provide comments on the submissions of Parties and other organisations.

We advocate for ambitious, precautionary, science-backed policies that will help reduce the stress on Antarctic ecosystems from local human activities such as fishing, tourism, and scientific research. We also urge Parties to take immediate action to address global threats to the Antarctic, particularly climate change, which represents 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 preventive regulations that both deter parties and operators from taking risks that could cause environmental damage, and establish liability in advance of an incident.