Regional Organizations and Activities

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The Antarctic

		General Information
		Guide to the Antarctic Environmental Protection Act
		Guide for Travellers to the Antarctic

General Information

Introduction

Many things spring to mind at the mention of the Antarctic. A huge continent of ice and cold. Amundsen and Scott's historic race to the South Pole. A pristine environment virtually untouched by human development, and, of course, thousands upon thousands of penguins.

As part of a global effort to protect the Antarctic environment, Canada ratified the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, commonly called the Madrid Protocol. On December  1, 2003, Canada brought into force the Antarctic Environmental Protection Act (AEPA) and its Regulations as part of Canada's efforts to implement the Protocol.

What is the Madrid Protocol, and what does the capital of Spain have to do with Canada's decision to protect the Antarctic? Read on for answers to these questions and more information about the Canadian Antarctic Environmental Protection Act.

The Antarctic Environment

The Antarctic is the ice-covered continent south of 60 degrees south latitude. In addition to vast oceans, this region contains 14 million km² of land, making it the fifth largest continent, nearly 1.5 times the size of Canada. The majority of the continent is ice covered, and glaciers line its coasts. One of the harshest environments on the planet, the strongest winds and lowest temperatures on earth have been recorded in the Antarctic, where ice and snow coverage can be up to four kilometres thick.

The Antarctic is an environmentally significant region. It contains relatively untouched ecosystems that are scientifically valuable. The polar ice cap holds within it a record of past atmospheres that go back tens or even hundreds of thousands of years, allowing study of the earth's natural climate cycles against which the significance of recent changes can be judged. Antarctica is home to hundreds of unique and vulnerable wildlife species. Its marine environment sustains a wide range of marine mammals, such as seals and whales, at far greater levels than are found in the Arctic region. Short food chains make the Antarctic marine ecosystem very fragile and susceptible to disruption.

While contributing to global biodiversity, the Antarctic also plays a central role in the world's ocean and climate systems. Approximately 80% of the world's freshwater is frozen in Antarctic ice. The land mass and surrounding waters of the Antarctic provide essential nutrients to the rest of the world's oceans, supporting life systems thousands of kilometres away. Like the Arctic, the Antarctic region is a sensitive indicator of global change. Small changes in temperature resulting from climate change have large consequences in terms of ice melt with corresponding changes in global sea level affecting the well-being of people around the world.

In addition to climate change, the effects of human activities elsewhere on the planet have resulted in an ozone hole over the Antarctic exposing species in the Antarctic to dangerous radiation. Human activities have also generated traces of chemical pollution in the ice cap and in the cells of Antarctic plants and animals.

Humans have had an impact on the Antarctic environment through localised disturbance over the past century, initially through fishing and hunting, and in more recent years through exploration, science and tourism.

Antarctic Treaty System

During the first half of the twentieth century, several countries made territorial claims to various parts of the Antarctic. The International Geophysical Year (1957-58) presented an opportunity to discuss ways to avoid possible problems with conflicting claims and establish a means to facilitate continued international scientific collaboration. It led to the development of the Antarctic Treaty, which was signed in 1959 and entered into force in 1961. The goal of the Antarctic Treaty is to ensure "in the interests of all mankind that Antarctica shall continue forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and shall not become the scene or object of international discord." The Treaty's main features include: prohibition of all military activities; freedom and international cooperation in scientific research and exchange of information; suspension of claims of territorial sovereignty; and prohibitions of nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive waste.

Since 1961, Parties to the Antarctic Treaty have negotiated several international agreements and more than 200 resolutions and decisions dealing with the governance and management of Antarctica. The key international agreements are: the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (CCAS), 1972; the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), 1980; and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, 1991 (Madrid Protocol). Collectively, the Treaty, the Protocol and Conventions, and the measures adopted under those agreements constitute the Antarctic Treaty System. Canada is a party to all of the agreements of the Antarctic Treaty System, having ratified the Madrid Protocol in 2003 and acceded to the Antarctic Treaty in 1988, the CCAS in 1990 and CCAMLR in 1988.

Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty

The Antarctic Treaty System was strengthened with the 1991 adoption of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, commonly called the Madrid Protocol after the city in which it was signed. The Protocol came into force in 1998 and has been ratified by more than thirty countries. Parties are required to oversee the activities of expeditions organized in or proceeding from their territory, as well as the activities of their vessels, aircraft and stations in the Antarctic.

The Protocol designates Antarctica as a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science and establishes environmental principles for the conduct of all activities in the Antarctic. It prohibits specific activities, such as damage to historic sites and harmful interference with wildlife. The Protocol requires that all activities undertaken in the Antarctic be subject to prior assessment of their environmental impacts and requires the development of contingency plans to respond to environmental emergencies. The Committee for Environmental Protection is established under the Protocol to assist Parties in implementing the Protocol.

The Protocol contains five supplementary annexes related to environmental impact assessment (Annex I), conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora (Annex II), waste disposal and waste management (Annex III), prevention of marine pollution (Annex IV), and specially protected areas (Annex V).

The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (CCAS) was adopted by the Antarctic Treaty Parties in 1972 in response to concerns about the vulnerability of Antarctic seals to commercial sealing. The Antarctic seal population had been hunted to near extinction at many locations by 1830, causing a decline in the sealing industry. The Convention was established to manage commercial sealing in the Antarctic, primarily as a precautionary measure over the potential re-initiation of pelagic commercial sealing in the region. Its objective is to "to promote and achieve the protection, scientific study and rational use of Antarctic seals, and to maintain a satisfactory balance within the ecological system of the Antarctic."

The Convention covers all species of seals in Antarctic waters. It sets conservative catch limits on Crabeater, Leopard and Weddell seals, and prohibits the catching of Ross, Elephant and Fur seals. There are also provisions relating to closed seasons and closed areas for any proposed commercial sealing activity. The CCAS provides for co-operation with the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research of the International Council for Science. The Convention does not establish a Commission, but it authorises any Party to propose a meeting of the Parties to establish a Commission after commercial sealing has begun. Commercial sealing has not been re-initiated, and although the Convention remains in force, its provisions have never been put to use. Canada acceded to the CCAS in 1990.

The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) came into force in 1982, as part of the Antarctic Treaty System. It was established mainly in response to concerns that an increase in krill catches in the Southern Ocean could have a serious effect on populations of krill and other marine life; particularly on birds, seals and fish, which mainly depend on krill for food. CCAMLR is concerned not only with the regulation of fishing, but also has a mandate to conserve the ecosystem. While the aim of the CCAMLR is to conserve marine life in the Southern Ocean, it does not exclude harvesting.