New tourism limits set for Antarctica

www.state.gov

Nations that have interests in Antarctica are endorsing the proposed limits on tourism to the Antarctic introduced by the US that aim to protect the increasingly fragile environment of the continent, according to official reports.

The agreement came at the end of a two-week meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, attended by the parties to the Antarctic Treaty, drawn up 50 years ago. Restrictions will be placed on the size of cruise ships that land in Antarctica, and on the number of passengers that are allowed to go ashore at any given time. The agreement will turn the current voluntary limits into international law.

Each of the 28 nations signing the treaty will need to ratify it before the agreement becomes legally binding. The revisions were unanimously adopted by all countries in attendance and no difficulties in ratifying the treaty are anticipated, according to the head of the US delegation, Evan Bloom.

No specific enforcement mechanism has been written into the agreement that limits Antarctic tourism, but signatories are required to ensure that operators bar ships carrying more than 500 passengers from the continent’s landing sites, that landings are restricted to one ship at a time and that the number of passengers on shore at any given time does not exceed 100 persons.

A minimum of one tour guide for every 20 persons going ashore is also mandated by the agreement.

www.state.gov