The pressure of increasing tourism in the Antarctica, especially those with high purchasing power, is a concern for the parties to the Antarctic Treaty and NGOs working for the conservation of one of the "last natural, virgin and vulnerable spaces" on the planet, he explains in an interview with EFE Ricardo Roura, consultant of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC).
Roura also points out that after the pandemic there has been "an increase in the number of tourists arriving in Antarctica between October and March", reaching 124,000 visitors in 2024, a figure that "could increase in the coming years."
The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) is an alliance of environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs), founded in 1978, working to protect Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.
Regulate tourism
The rise of tourism was one of the topics discussed at the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting held in India in May 2024, where representatives from more than 56 countries raised "the sustainable management of Antarctica," the impacts of human activity, and the climate crisis on the Antarctic continent.
Antarctica is a continent without owners, as established by the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, which designates it as a territory dedicated to "peace and science", where exploration of natural resources is not permitted, Roura recalls, adding that, nevertheless, "the treaty is under pressure, because there are members with very defined views on certain issues."
However, the consultant believes that "the treaty works well," and for the past two or three years, the consultative parties, with ASOC participating in the negotiations, have been developing a "regulatory framework for tourism in Antarctica, to regulate it more than it currently regulates, which is quite minimal."
Tourism has had "an impressive and very rapid growth trajectory that continues to grow, mutate, and expand," he says, due to the emergence of new ways to arrive, new means of transportation, and new activities. While "there are certain requirements for tour operators, there are no significant restrictions on activities, places to go, or how to do certain things."
To Antarctica, Roura points out, Thousands of people arrive on 500-person cruise ships who can land in some areas; boats with 1,000 or more passengers that can only go around and around the frozen continent; or "high-net-worth tourists who arrive in private planes and land on an ice runway."
High-net-worth tourism has a "deep ecological footprint," he emphasizes, due to emissions from private flights, which save them four days on a cruise—two each way—which they spend in Antarctica, "increasing the pressure" from wastewater pollution and the encroachment on natural habitats.
Krill fishing in the same area
A pressure that is increased by the presence of "a large fleet of Asian vessels that fish for krill almost year-round, moving around the Antarctic Peninsula toward the area where tourists arrive, and although they do not coincide in time, they do operate in the same area."
However, he says, "this year the distribution of sea ice blocked the passage of ships," which were forced to move to where the tourists were, "which highlights the number of activities taking place in that Antarctic area, where penguins live and whose habitats are being invaded."
You may be interested in: World's largest iceberg runs aground in shallow waters near South Georgia
While the Madrid Protocol includes measures to minimize environmental impacts and protect biodiversity, the expert notes that there are issues such as the presence of microplastics generated primarily by the fishing industry and the treatment of untreated wastewater.
For this reason, Roura explains, ASOC recommends, among other measures, increasing the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs) to reach 30% of protected terrestrial, marine, and coastal territories, in accordance with the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Treaty; limiting visitor areas; or adopting measures to protect Antarctica.
