According to research just published in Nature, only small localized pockets of ice shelves were thinning in Antarctica between 1973 and 1989, located primarily in the Amundsen Sea Embayment and the Wilkes Land coastline. Ice-shelf thinning accelerated and spread rapidly into the 1990s and 2000s; if the trend continues, we can confidently expect a continuing acceleration of the contribution of Antarctica to sea-level rise, threatening coastal communities around the world.
Greenhouse gas emissions and climate change are resulting in very significant reductions in ice in Antarctica, making East Antarctica a ‘sleeping giant’ of sea level rise. Tourism is not the only cause of climate change, but the sector is thought to contribute between 5% and 8% of greenhouse gases.
Antarctica is the Earth’s only continent without an indigenous population and is governed by the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS). A number of conventions and protocols. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty entered into force in January 1998, It has five specific annexes covering marine pollution, fauna and flora, environmental impact assessments, waste management, and protected areas.
Travel to Antarctica is mainly across the Drake Passage by ship, but in 2021 an Airbus A340 landed on the Antarctic for the first time. “Each flight took between five and five and a half hours, and the team spent less than three hours on the ground in Antarctica, covering 2,500 nautical miles.” White Desert offers accommodation. An adventure of a life time “… we continue to the South Pole, landing at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station. At the designated marker, you will be at the lowest point on earth. A place with no more East, South or West – only North and you will be able to walk around the world in just a few paces! (…) Guests can choose to stay at either Whichaway, an oasis of luxury overlooking freshwater lakes, or Echo, where the lunar-landscape feels like being on another planet.” The adventure costs between $68,500 and $105,000 per passenger.
A number of operators offer snorkelling, scuba diving, paddleboarding, kayaking, camping, snowshoeing, mountaineering and cross-country skiing. All of which activities have environmental impacts. Antarctica is fast becoming an expensive mainstream destination. The UK company Scenic offers submersible and helicopter experiences as well as the wildlife.
As usual, the regulators lag behind, and, as everywhere else, enforcement is an issue. In 2010, the International Maritime Organisation banned cruise ships from burning heavy fuel oil in Antarctic waters. That can be enforced at the departure ports and it has capped the size of ships going to Antarctica and ships with over 500 passengers cannot land them.
Some citizen science does take place from the cruise ships. Richard Garriott, president of The Explorer’s Club, is quoted by Megan Spurrell in Conde Nast Traveller “Tourism is a risk that needs to be managed well, but it absolutely can be done in a way that is non threatening and non harmful. We just have to make sure people choose to do that. (…) The tourists who ride on these expeditions are, in many ways, subsidising that research,” said Garriott. “This public-private partnership, in the modern era, is almost the only way to get science done.”
Maggie Amsler, a biology researcher based at Palmer Station on Anvers Island is quoted in the same article: “Garbage, like plastic water bottles, are increasingly washing up on outer island shores. Smaller, private charters aboard yachts are on the increase, and there seems to be little oversight of their activities. There have been incidents over recent years wherein vessel passengers have been put ashore to explore on islands that are protected or the area has sensitive habitats or wildlife. If the vessel’s crew is not familiar with the local restrictions, what other regulatory aspects of Antarctic cruising are being overlooked?”
This all sounds very familiar. Spurrel concludes her article, published in May last year, with a quote from Amsler “Antarctica can be protected by everyone by developing sustainable, earth-friendly practices at home.” This is a classic defence, but it fails to address the direct negative impacts of rapidly growing tourism in Antarctica, where overtourism is becoming an issue.
The maps below are reproduced from VesselFinder on 28 February 2024. Green are passenger ships, purple yachts, red military and blue fishing vessels. There is very little traffic from Australia and New Zealand.
In the UK Parliament the Environmental Audit Sub-Committee on Polar Research has launched an inquiry into The UK and the Antarctic Environment. On 26 February, it turned its attention to “New Zealand science, environmental concerns about tourism on the continent and the making of Frozen Planet II.” The second panel “focused on tourism in Antarctica, and in particular the tension between allowing education for visitors and the potential for tourism demand to contribute to climate change in the region.”
It will be interesting to see the result of the Audit Sub-Committee’s deliberations on the relative value in raising awareness of the importance and vulnerability of Antarctica, of tourists’ experiences of the few and the impact of a wildlife and environment documentary available to so many more.
In the 1950s, only a few hundred tourists visited Antarctica each year, rising to 38,478 visitors in 2015-2016. IAATO, a membership organization, was founded in 1991 to advocate and promote the practice of safe and environmentally responsible private-sector travel to the Antarctic. It has 50+ operators in membership, but membership is voluntary. All IAATO’s members are committed to its “mission of advocating and promoting the practice of safe, environmentally responsible private sector travel to the Antarctic.” IAATO encounters non-member operators each season and it essentially self-regulates in the context of the Antarctic Treaty. It does not have any regulatory powers and there is no resident regulatory authority on Antarctica. Enforcement of the Antarctic Treaty is the responsibility of the signatories to the treaty.
For the 2022-3 season, IAATO reported 32,730 cruise-only visitors , 71,346 landed visitors and 821 deep field visitors. The “Deep Field Visitors” are a particular cause for concern. It is widely expected that over 100,000 tourists will visit Antarctica this season.
The British Antarctic Survey reports that the majority of tourists land on the peninsula arriving from Argentina and Chile, some itineraries include South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. A small number of tourist expedition ships visit the Weddell Sea, the Ross Sea region and East Antarctica. A few fly in, and a few visit inland sites, including Mt Vinson (Antarctica’s highest mountain) and the geographic South Pole.
All tourists are expected to comply with the Antarctic Treaty, Environmental Protocol and adhere to the Guidance for Visitors to the Antarctic. Enforcement is through the tour operators and guides. IAATO Members also operate with codes of conduct that limit approach distances and behaviour in the vicinity of wildlife aggregations. In addition, the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties have adopted a series of Site Guidelines for Visitors for the most visited sites in Antarctica.
1. Protect Antarctic wildlife
- Do not disturb wildlife either at sea or on land
- Do not feed or touch animals or photograph in a way that will disturb
- Do not damage plants
- Keep noise to the minimum
- Do not bring non-native species to Antarctica
2. Respect protected areas
- Be aware of the locations of protected areas
- Respect the restrictions that apply to these sites
- Do not damage, destroy or remove artefacts from Historic sites or monuments
3. Respect scientific research
- Obtain permission before visiting Antarctic science stations
- Do not interfere in any way with scientific equipment, study sites or field camps
4. Be safe
- Know your capabilities and act with safety in mind
- Keep a safe distance from all wildlife
- Do not stray from the group
- Do not walk onto glaciers or large snowfields unless properly trained
5. Keep Antarctica pristine
- Do not litter
- Do not deface or graffiti rocks and buildings
- Do not remove artefacts as souvenirs. This includes: rocks, bones, fossils and contents of buildings
Unsurprisingly this advice is very similar to that which is found at many national parks.
Overtourism
Tourism impact is concentrated, and as more ships arrive, the intensity of visiting at the accessible sites on the peninsular increases. As the number of visits and visitors increases, the impacts will increase with environmental and wildlife impacts. If you have paid all that money to get there, who doesn’t want their trophy up close photo with the wildlife? There is no entrance fee or limit on numbers visiting Antarctica and no park management.
Paul Ward, webmaster at CoolAntarctica reports that sewage and food waste are allowed to be disposed of at sea in Antarctica by ships and bases on land. He lists the potential negative impacts as invasive species, breeding disturbance, spreading of diseases, erosion and disturbance of fragile environment and oil spills. The M/V Explorer sank in 2007 although there was no loss of human life. Paul lists the positive impacts as tourists becoming ambassadors for Antarctica and argues:
“As travel to Antarctica is expensive, tourists tend to be more affluent and consequently more educated and influential than the average tourist profile. They are more likely to be receptive to the message of conservation, a message which is reinforced by the educational atmosphere on board the ships where the majority of tourism in Antarctica is based.”
Given the witnesses called to the Audit Sub-Committee, which includes the producers of Frozen Planet II, it is likely that they will come to a view about the educational and awareness of value of tourism versus film. Frozen Planet I was screened in 2011 and is available online.
Antarctica not infinite, there is a maximum number of visitors which can be absorbed without more significant damaging impacts. The weather precludes extending the season and increasing dispersal across Antarctica will only spread the impacts further. Governing tourism in Antarctica is challenging and becoming urgent.
