Threats to the Antarctic Ecosystem and Sustainable Management Part 2

Question

Step-by-step solution

1. Step 1

   Recall the headline agreements (1 mark each). The two most secure answers are the Antarctic Treaty (1959) and the Protocol on Environmental Protection (the Madrid Protocol, 1991).

2. Step 2

   Alternatives also credited. CCAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources) or IAATO (the tourism operators' association) would each earn a mark. Give NAMES, not vague phrases like 'environmental laws'.

Question

Step-by-step solution

1. Step 1

   Demilitarisation (1 mark). The Treaty bans all military activity — no bases, weapons testing or nuclear waste disposal. Antarctica is a 'natural reserve, devoted to peace and science'.

2. Step 2

   Science and the mining ban (1 mark). It guarantees freedom of scientific research (data must be shared) and, via the 1991 Madrid Protocol, bans all mineral mining.

Question

Step-by-step solution

1. Step 1

   CCAMLR (2 marks). Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. Established 1982 under the Antarctic Treaty System. Specifically manages fishing in the Southern Ocean using an 'ecosystem' approach.

2. Step 2

   Catch limits / quotas (1 mark). Sets annual quotas for krill and toothfish — set much LOWER than the maximum sustainable yield, leaving a margin so that penguins, seals and whales still have enough krill.

3. Step 3

   Marine Protected Areas (1 mark). Designates large no-fishing zones — the Ross Sea MPA (2016) is the world's largest at 1.55 million km².

4. Step 4

   Monitoring (1 mark). Requires onboard scientific observers on krill vessels and uses satellite tracking of fleet movements to catch illegal (IUU) fishing.

Question

Step-by-step solution

1. Step 1

   Limit visitors per site (1 mark). IAATO limits landings to a maximum of 100 visitors ashore at any one time at most sites, reducing trampling and disturbance.

2. Step 2

   Approved tour operators only (1 mark). Operators must be IAATO (International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators) members and follow strict guidelines; ships over 500 passengers are banned from landing.

3. Step 3

   Wildlife distance (1 mark). A minimum 5 m distance from penguins and seals; visitors must not block animal routes or disturb breeding colonies.

4. Step 4

   Biosecurity (1 mark). Clothing, boots and equipment are cleaned and decontaminated before landing to prevent introduction of non-native species and disease.

5. Step 5

   No waste left behind (1 mark). All waste, including wastewater, is returned to the ship; nothing is left on land.

Question

Step-by-step solution

1. Step 1

   Choose THREE strategies and DEVELOP each (explain = give a consequence). Don't just list — show the cause-and-effect link to ecosystem protection.

2. Step 2

   Antarctic Treaty + Madrid Protocol (2 marks). Because the Madrid Protocol bans mining for 50+ years and requires Environmental Impact Assessments, habitats are not destroyed by extraction or large-scale construction, so wildlife is preserved.

3. Step 3

   CCAMLR quotas and MPAs (2 marks). Because krill quotas are set below the sustainable yield and the Ross Sea MPA (1.55 million km²) bans fishing, the food base for penguins, seals and whales is protected, keeping the whole food web stable.

4. Step 4

   IAATO tourism rules (2 marks). Because visitor numbers are capped at 100 ashore and biosecurity prevents non-native species, breeding colonies are not disturbed and invasive species cannot spread, so native biodiversity is maintained.

Question

Step-by-step solution

1. Step 1

   Structure for an extended evaluation. Strengths -> weaknesses -> a named example -> a judgement. The 7-mark item rewards balance plus a clear, supported decision.

2. Step 2

   Strengths. The Treaty has kept Antarctica demilitarised and mining-free for over 60 years; CCAMLR's precautionary krill quotas have prevented stock collapse; the Ross Sea MPA (2016) protects 1.55 million km²; IAATO's voluntary rules see very high compliance and no major tourism disaster.

3. Step 3

   Weaknesses. Compliance is VOLUNTARY — there is no enforcement body, so illegal (IUU) toothfish fishing still occurs. CCAMLR decisions need consensus, so China and Russia have repeatedly blocked new MPAs (e.g. the proposed East Antarctic MPA). Tourist numbers keep rising (over 100,000 visitors in 2022-23). None of it stops the biggest threat: climate change driven from OUTSIDE Antarctica.

4. Step 4

   Detailed specific example — the Ross Sea MPA (2016). Agreed by CCAMLR's 25 members, it is the world's largest MPA, bans commercial fishing across 1.12 million km² of its area, and protects Adélie penguins, Weddell seals and Antarctic toothfish. BUT it has a 35-year time limit (not permanent) and took five years of negotiation, showing both the power and the limits of consensus.

5. Step 5

   Judgement. The strategies are effective at managing the LOCAL, direct threats they were designed for (fishing, tourism, mining) but cannot tackle the GLOBAL threat of climate change. So they are effective in part, not 'highly' effective overall.