Week 5: The Treaty System

Lecture 1: First attempts at conservation of flora and fauna (Dr Julia Jabour)
From the beginning, the countries that signed the Antarctic Treaty knew they would need to be careful about protecting the vulnerable plants and animals of the Antarctic. They did this by developing rules on how to behave, and recommended a permit system that allowed scientists to take specimens only for appropriate reasons.

Lecture 2: Harvesting and protecting seals (Dr Julia Jabour)
By the 1970s some species of seals had been heavily exploited and stocks were low. Commercial sealing was no longer a viable business. However, the Treaty countries anticipated that it would begin again at some time in the future and that when it did, it would be smart to have rules in place so that over-exploitation could not occur again. This agreement is still in place today.

Lecture 3: Managing the use of the Southern Ocean (Dr Julia Jabour)
One of the main species in the Antarctic marine ecosystem is the tiny crustacean, krill and it, along with some species of Antarctic fish, were being harvested by fishermen during the 1960s and 70s. The Treaty countries became concerned that there were no regulations over the fishing industry in the Southern Ocean. Because fishing in other oceans of the world has had a poor history, and very little was known, scientifically, about species in the Southern Ocean, the countries created rules for managing the use of the Southern Ocean and its resources before a big fishing industry developed.

Tutorial: Should fishermen from countries outside the Antarctic Treaty System have a right to fish in the Southern Ocean?

Week 6: The Treaty System II

Lecture 1: Mining in Antarctica (Dr Julia Jabour)
The same was true for mineral resources; mining had not begun in the Antarctic and the countries did not want it to unless they had a strong set of rules to help protect the environment and to guide the development and behaviour of mining industries.

Lecture 2: Taking care of the environment (Dr Julia Jabour)
When the minerals convention failed, it was replaced by a special addition to the Antarctic Treaty - a protocol that designated Antarctica a continent devoted to peace and science where no mining was allowed. It is designed to apply to all human activity in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean - from scientists and their support staff to tourists and independent visitors.

Lecture 3: Lake Vostok: a study of environmental commitment (Dr Julia Jabour)
Drilling into the water of a lake covered by over 3.5 km of ice is being undertaken by a joint venture. The Russian Federation is responsible for completing the environmental impact assessment of this project. Scientists are very excited about what organisms may be in the lake water, which has been isolated for a million years, but are also very concerned that the process of drilling will contaminate the lake and they will ruin their pristine sample.

Tutorial: Should some sites in the Antarctic be left alone, with NO-ONE allowed to visit there?