Has Antarctica been saved now that agreement has been reached by all Consultative Parties on the Protocol and its four annexes and, if so, by whom and for whom? The environmental lobby seem clear that it was their efforts that provided the impetus for international agreement and that the Protocol will provide the protection needed for the “Last Great Wilderness on Earth”. It would be pointless to deny the considerable political impact produced by the NGO environmental groups but their contribution to the discussions was more emotional than factual. It would be equally unfair to overlook the major contribution from the Antarctic science community to the sensible resolution of this debate, a feature largely overlooked by the media.