Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T22:03:55.384Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2010

Get access

Summary

Antarctica, known to most people as an ice blue and beautiful but isolated and fragile continent, has long been of interest to scientists, explorers and a handful of diplomats. Its history is redolent with dramatic images of courage and comradeship, tragedy and triumph. The exploitation of marine living resources, and more recently mineral and oil resources have, however, been the dominant forces behind international interest in Antarctica. Enticed by Cook's voyages, seal hunters explored the South Antarctic islands in the late eighteenth century. Over-exploitation of seal herds lead others in the 1830s to move closer to the Antarctic continent for elephant seals and whales. Today, the depletion of fish stocks and the expansion of coastal state sovereignty over 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zones has again focussed attention upon the southern oceans, this time to harvest krill. Extravagant hopes for mineral and oil wealth, inflamed by negotiations for an Antarctic minerals regime, have directed international attention to Antarctic non-living resources, thereby prompting fears for the conservation of this fragile and beautiful continent.

It was at a time when commercial interests in Antarctica had declined, and when individual scientific research was highly esteemed, that 12 states were able to negotiate the Antarctic Treaty in 1959. Compelled by the need to avert tension and disorder and by a determination that scientific research should continue unimpeded, these states successfully avoided the formidable legal issue of sovereignty and created the Antarctic Treaty regime of interlinked conventions and recommendations. This regime is justifiably hailed as a remarkably effective international system which has largely achieved its relatively modest objectives. Times, however, have changed.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Antarctic Treaty Regime
Law, Environment and Resources
, pp. xiv - xxi
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

  • Introduction
  • Edited by Gillian D. Triggs
  • Book: The Antarctic Treaty Regime
  • Online publication: 20 January 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511565502.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Introduction
  • Edited by Gillian D. Triggs
  • Book: The Antarctic Treaty Regime
  • Online publication: 20 January 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511565502.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
  • Edited by Gillian D. Triggs
  • Book: The Antarctic Treaty Regime
  • Online publication: 20 January 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511565502.002
Available formats
×