Antarctic Specially Managed Areas

Antarctic Specially Managed Areas
Name	Antarctic Specially Managed Areas
Location	Antarctica
Established	1998
Governing body	Antarctic Treaty System

Antarctic Specially Managed Areas are designated regions under the Antarctic Treaty System created to coordinate activity, minimize environmental impacts, and resolve competing uses in Antarctica. These areas operate alongside Antarctic Specially Protected Areas, Antarctic Treaty Secretariat, Madrid Protocol (Environment Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty), Committee for Environmental Protection and national Antarctic programs such as the British Antarctic Survey, Australian Antarctic Division, and United States Antarctic Program. Management emphasizes cooperation among operators including International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs, National Science Foundation (United States), and treaty consultative parties like United Kingdom, Argentina, Australia, Russia.

Introduction

Antarctic Specially Managed Areas (ASMAs) were established to facilitate planned use of areas where multiple parties including Chile, New Zealand, France, Norway, Japan, Brazil, and South Africa carry out overlapping activities such as logistics, research, and tourism. ASMAs complement tools provided by the Antarctic Treaty and the Madrid Protocol by focusing on coordination rather than strict prohibition, integrating stakeholders such as International Maritime Organization-regulated vessels, field stations like McMurdo Station, Rothera Research Station, and seasonal camps associated with projects by Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

History and Legal Framework

The concept originated from measures negotiated within the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and incorporated in instruments of the Antarctic Treaty System during the late 20th century, reflecting precedents like the designation of Antarctic Specially Protected Areas and conservation measures inspired by cases involving South Shetland Islands research coordination. Legal authority derives from the Madrid Protocol annexes, the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, and resolutions adopted by consultative parties including Spain, Italy, Germany, and China. The Committee for Environmental Protection and national delegations draft management measures, often informed by scientific assessments from International Polar Year initiatives and reports by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change working groups.

Designation Criteria and Process

Designation follows criteria established at Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings and requires proposals from one or more consultative parties such as Belgium, United States, Peru, or Uruguay. Proposals must demonstrate compatibility with conservation objectives set by the Madrid Protocol, reflect inputs from stakeholders including International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators and research bodies like SCAR (the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research), and be reviewed by the Committee for Environmental Protection. Decisions are taken by consensus among consultative parties including Chile, Argentina, Russia, Japan, and India at annual consultative meetings, guided by precedents from areas like the McMurdo Dry Valleys and Cape Royds.

Management Plans and Governance

Each ASMA is governed by a management plan adopted by consultative parties and prepared by proposing parties such as New Zealand or France with input from stakeholders including Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP), International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, and research institutions such as British Antarctic Survey and Alfred Wegener Institute. Management plans define permissible activities, logistical coordination, emergency procedures referencing Search and Rescue (Policing) frameworks, and monitoring protocols compatible with Antarctic Treaty Secretariat reporting. Governance mechanisms include designated managers, liaison officers from national programs like Australian Antarctic Division, and periodic review by the Committee for Environmental Protection and Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.

Environmental Protection and Monitoring

ASMAs incorporate environmental protection measures consistent with the Madrid Protocol and guidance from Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Monitoring programs often involve collaborations among NASA, European Space Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, and universities such as University of Cambridge and University of California, Santa Cruz to track biodiversity, glacial change, and invasive species risks. Protocols address sampling permits, waste management, and biosecurity measures reflecting practices used in Antarctic Specially Protected Areas and research projects at Vostok Station and Concordia Station.

Human Activities and Access Regulations

ASMAs manage a spectrum of human activities including scientific research by entities such as Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Scott Polar Research Institute; logistical operations by national programs including United States Antarctic Program and British Antarctic Survey; and tourism coordinated with the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators and regulated through consultative party guidance. Access regulations often specify landing sites, visitor limits modeled on practices in the South Shetland Islands, biosecurity checks aligned with World Organisation for Animal Health guidelines, and coordination of ship movements under International Maritime Organization polar code principles.

Notable ASPAs and ASMAs

Notable managed areas include ASMAs associated with regions such as the McMurdo Dry Valleys area (adjacent to McMurdo Station), the Antarctic Peninsula region coordinating activities near King George Island, and ASMAs established around historic sites like Cape Royds and Deception Island. Comparisons are often made with prominent Antarctic Specially Protected Areas including Lake Vostok and Salisbury Plain to illustrate differing management emphases between strict protection and coordinated use. Management plans for these areas have involved parties such as New Zealand Antarctic Programme, Argentine Antarctic Program, and scientific stakeholders like SCAR and COMNAP.

Challenges and Future Directions

ASMAs face challenges from increasing activity by tourism operators including Hurtigruten, Quark Expeditions, and Poseidon Expeditions, logistic expansion by national programs including China and India, and climate-driven landscape changes documented by IPCC reports and satellite programs by European Space Agency and NASA. Future directions involve strengthening coordination at Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings, enhancing data-sharing among COMNAP, SCAR, and IHO-related hydrographic authorities, and integrating new science from initiatives like the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration to refine management plans and adaptive governance.

Category:Antarctic Treaty System