Antarctic Treaty Meeting on Penguins, Tourism

Officials from nearly 60 countries, signatories to the Antarctica, are meeting in Japan — Hiroshima, Japan, for annual discussions on protecting and managing Antarctica. Key agenda items include greater protections for emperor penguins, which the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently declared endangered, and managing the sharp rise in tourism to the continent. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is advocating for emperor penguins to be designated a specially protected species, which could lead to restrictions on shipping and tourism. Delegates will also consider potential restrictions and quotas for tourist activities, as existing frameworks are seen as insufficient for the increasing diversity of tourism. Francisco Bergamino of the Antarctica Secretariat and Hideki Uyama of Japan's foreign affairs ministry highlighted the importance of these discussions for the Earth's climate and oceans.