Summary:
On the fringes of the frozen continent, penguins, seals, seabirds, and simple vegetation have gained a foothold. Humans have entered their frozen realm as a competitor for space along the coast, the only portion of the continent that can foster life. Humans and animals interact regularly through scientific activities and tourism. This paper will examine the extent of those interactions, as well as some of the negative impacts that human presence has had in Antarctica. Such impacts can range from an oil spill of a science program’s supply ship, to a tourist knocking over a camera tripod onto a penguin chick, crippling it so that it was attacked and had to be euthanized.
This Note discusses the current management regime for Antarctic living resources: the Antarctic Treaty System. The Note focuses on when the ATS fails, and when those failures result in harm to Antarctic terrestrial wildlife.
Documents:
Cold Feet.pdf (618.77 KB)