Antarctica: Can the continent be Protected Forever?

KAKALI DAS

In 1977, a pregnant woman from Argentina was flown to Antarctica to give birth in one of the coldest and harshest places on Earth. The next year, in 1978, she gave birth to a baby boy named Emilio Palma, who became the first person ever born in Antarctica.

After that, 10 more babies were born in Antarctica. Out of these, 8 were from Argentina and 3 were from Chile. These two countries had overlapping claims in parts of Antarctica.

So, the idea behind sending pregnant women to Antarctica was to make their land claims stronger by showing that people were being born and living there.

The babies became a kind of quiet competition between the two countries, a way to prove that they belonged there.

Today, countries no longer send pregnant women to Antarctica, but they still try to show their presence there. Antarctica is full of natural resources, and although no one owns it, many countries want to stay involved in this frozen land.

Most of the world’s attention goes to the Arctic, but in the meantime, some countries have been quietly increasing their presence in Antarctica. It’s a story that includes strange buildings that look like something out of a James Bond movie, thick walls of ice nearly five kilometers tall, international cooperation, and a tiny but important creature called Krill.

So, what is happening in Antarctica now? Antarctica is the highest, driest, windiest, coldest, and iciest place on the planet. It’s like a frozen desert. It is one and a half times bigger than the United States, and although it almost never rains there, it has a lot of the world’s most valuable resources.

Daniella Liggett, a teacher who studies how Antarctica is managed, says that the largest resource in Antarctica today is freshwater. About 75% of the world’s freshwater is stored in the Antarctic ice sheets. Some of this ice is over 100,000 years old.

Underneath all that ice is a real continent with mountains, remains of old forests, hundreds of lakes, and valuable minerals like copper, iron, uranium, gold, and even diamonds.

The ocean around Antarctica has the strongest current in the world. It works like a huge conveyor belt, transporting water and nutrients around the planet.

In that ocean, there are massive swarms of Krill – tiny shrimp that form the primary diet of whales and collectively remove the equivalent of the carbon dioxide emissions produced by 5 million cars each year.

Swimming alongside them are the prized toothfish, commonly served in restaurants as Chilean Sea Bass.

Also, beneath the Antarctic ice lie an estimated 500 billion barrels of oil – the second largest reserves in the world after the Middle East—alongside 300 to 500 billion tons of natural gas.

From oil and gas to fish, krill, minerals, and freshwater, calling Antarctica “rich in resources” would be an understatement.

But here’s the thing – accessing Antarctica’s resources is either strictly forbidden or heavily restricted. It’s one of the rare places that could be described as Terra Nullius, meaning “land belonging to no one.” Instead of falling under the sovereignty of a single nation, Antarctica is governed by a unique international agreement signed by over 50 countries.

Yet, it hasn’t always been this way.

Historical evidence suggests that the Māori may have been the first to sight Antarctica as early as the 7^th century. In the 18^th century, James Cook became the first European to cross the Antarctic Circle.

By the early 1900s, seven countries had laid territorial claims to parts of the continent. In 1956, India challenged this by raising “The Question of Antarctica” at the United Nations.

India has long been apprehensive over the possibility that Antarctica could be militarized, or that nuclear weapons might be deployed or tested on the continent.

India’s stance toward Antarctica has consistently reflected the principle of the common heritage of humankind.

Following India’s concerns, the period between 1956 and 1958 marked the International Geophysical Year – an era of unprecedented global scientific cooperation. Together, these developments paved the way for the Antarctic Treaty, which designated the continent exclusively for peaceful purposes and scientific research.

The treaty nullifies those seven territorial claims, prohibits military activity, and requires the sharing of scientific research. Any United Nations member can join, and the parties meet annually to negotiate treaty updates and exchange scientific findings.

To gain voting rights in these negotiations, countries must conduct research in Antarctica, which has led to the establishment of numerous research stations across the continent.

Concerns over overfishing and whaling prompted the creation of a commission to protect the Southern Ocean. This commission has since set catch limits around Antarctica and established marine protected areas where fishing is either heavily restricted or completely banned.

Over the following decade, negotiations culminated in a ban on mining and other resource extraction activities. Today, 58 countries have signed the treaty, with 29 granted the right to participate in decision-making regarding the southernmost continent.

The success of this treaty is truly unprecedented. Countries have set aside geopolitical differences to collaborate on science in a way unmatched anywhere else in the world.

However, this cooperation has recently shown signs of strain. While the Antarctic Treaty recognizes the historical land claims, Chile, Australia, and the United Kingdom submitted documents to the UN in the 2000s asserting claims over the ocean areas adjacent to their former territories.

In 2015, Norway took an even stronger stance, stating that its “policy in Antarctica has been based on the assertion of Norwegian territorial claims.”

Geopolitical tensions are increasingly affecting the annual treaty negotiations, with more pronounced bloc formations—especially in light of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Given all this, there is growing concern about the year 2048 – the earliest date when any country party to the treaty can propose renegotiations. Many fear this could lead to lifting the mining ban and opening Antarctica to resource extraction.

However, for any fundamental changes to take effect, three-quarters of the member countries must agree and establish new mining regulations – anoutcome that currently seems unlikely.

What is more worrying is that some countries have begun testing the treaty’s boundaries, particularly through fishing activities. Unlike the treaty itself, marine protected areas are set to expire after a few decades. New protected areas have been under discussion for years.

There has been significant pushback from countries with interests in the region’s fisheries, particularly those affected by krill populations. Notably, Russia and China have vetoed proposals to establish new marine protected areas.

Illegal fishing around Antarctica has increased significantly over the past decade. Despite existing restrictions, krill catches have risen, along with bycatch of other species.

Krill is especially important as a keystone species. Its decline threatens the entire Antarctic ecosystem. This also impacts us directly, since krill remove millions of tons of carbon from the atmosphere each year. Additionally, krill are harvested for dietary supplements and to feed the expanding fish farming industry.

The majority of krill fishing is carried out by the Norwegian company, Aker BioMarine. Conservation group Sea Shepherd has reported that their trawlers sometimes pass directly through areas where whales are feeding.

Equally concerning are developments on the continent itself. Although the Antarctic Treaty prohibits military activity, some research stations are equipped with technology that could potentially be militarized. Certain monitoring stations might be used for global maritime surveillance and could support military operations elsewhere in the world.

Weapons and military technology are strictly prohibited in Antarctica. However, there is an increasing security presence, likely aimed at protecting scientific communities, research stations, and bases. This security could involve private contractors or other forces, which raises concerns.

Another worrying development is the search for oil, which is also banned under the treaty. In 2020, Russia conducted a survey specifically to assess the oil and gas potential of the Antarctic Shelf.

Besides, a paper from Moscow State University has mapped the locations of oil-bearing rock formations in the region.

Meanwhile, already tense treaty negotiations face growing pressure from increasing tourism. During the 2023-2024 season, over 120,000 tourists visited Antarctica – more than ten times the number seen in the early 1990s. With this surge in visitors comes greater risk of damage to wildlife and the delicate ecosystems that play a vital role in regulating the global climate.

These tensions are deeply concerning because Antarctic science impacts the entire planet. It was scientists studying Antarctica who made one of the most important discoveries of the 20^th century: the hole in the ozone layer. This posed such an existential threat to life on Earth that countries immediately came together to take action and close it. Today, studying Antarctica has become even more urgent.

The continent is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world and has lost trillions of tons of ice since the early 2000s. In January 2025, an iceberg the size of Chicago broke off. If all the ice on Antarctica were to melt, sea levels would rise by 58 meters – just 10 meters would be enough to flood many coastal areas worldwide.

The consequences would be catastrophic. Research in Antarctica is crucial for predicting climate changes that will affect the entire globe.

There are also steps individuals can take to help protect Antarctica. For example, avoid buying products made from krill. The pharmaceutical industry profits heavily from supplements like Omega-3 acids derived from wild krill, much of which comes from the Antarctic ecosystem.

At the governmental level, there are already strong laws and regulations in place to protect Antarctica, but countries need to allocate more resources to enforce them effectively. Governance frameworks for Antarctic tourism are being developed, though progress has been slow due to ongoing negotiation tensions.

To help break this deadlock, countries could increase collaboration on scientific activities, which would also allow more nations to have a voice in decision-making.

“It’s a consensus-based system. You are only as strong as the weakest link. I think investing in that, finding shared values, and emphasizing them is key to overcoming the current impasse,” Daniella Liggettsaid.

Some experts are now calling for a permanent ban on resource extraction, rather than waiting for parties to consider reviewing the treaty in the future.

Ultimately, Antarctica needs sustained attention. By dedicating more resources to negotiations and closely monitoring developments on the continent, countries can strengthen cooperation and ensure Antarctica remains protected.

mahabahu

Headline Image: Eleven babies are born on the continent- eight Argentinian ones and three Chileans. Illustration: Geetanjali Singh/ dailyOleven babies are born on the continent-eight Argentinian ones and three Chileans. Illustration: Geetanjali Singh

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