Antarctica is often thought of as a fine land untouched by human disturbance. Unfortunately this is no longer the case. For a little more than 100 years people have been travelling to Antarctica and in that short time most parts have been visited and we have left more than just footprints. Humans have started to become one of the causes of why Antarctica is dying. And here are some reason's why:
Impacts of hunting and fishing
Hunting for whales and seals drew people to the Antarctic in the early years of the 19th century and within only a few decades caused major crashes in wildlife populations. The Antarctic fur seal was at the verge of extinction at many locations by 1830, resulting in a decline in the sealing industry although sealing continued at a smaller scale well into the last century.
- harvesting some Antarctic species to the verge of extinction for economic benefit,
- killing and disturbing other species,
- contaminating the soils, and
- discharging sewage to the sea and leaving rubbish, cairns and tracks in even the most remote parts.
Impacts of hunting and fishing
Hunting for whales and seals drew people to the Antarctic in the early years of the 19th century and within only a few decades caused major crashes in wildlife populations. The Antarctic fur seal was at the verge of extinction at many locations by 1830, resulting in a decline in the sealing industry although sealing continued at a smaller scale well into the last century.
Sealing
The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (CCAS) was initiated in response to concerns that the sealing industry could be re-opened after some exploratory research to investigate the viability of sealing in the 1960s. Although commercial sealing did not recommence, the CCAS did establish a regime for sealing providing for permissible catch limits for crabeater, leopard and Weddell seals, a zoning system with closed seasons and total protection for Ross seals, southern elephant seals and certain species of fur seal. However, under Australian law Australians would not be granted a permit for commercial sealing in the Antarctic Treaty area.
The seal populations of Macquarie Island have been protected by the island’s status as a wildlife sanctuary since 1933. The seals of Australia’s subantarctic islands were further protected in 1997 when both Macquarie and the Heard and McDonald Islands were added to the World Heritage list. The exploited seal populations of the Southern Ocean have in recent years recovered very substantially and are no longer endangered.
Whaling
Whale hunting was very famous and it was sold at a very good price to the people all over the world. Whales are used in such things as:
In the 1960s the IWC became more effective when blue and humpback whales were fully protected; protection was extended to fin and sei whales in the 1970s and in 1986 the IWC decided to suspend all commercial whaling. Since the moratorium was initiated, whaling has been limited to one or two countries that harvest whales under the ‘scientific whaling’ provisions set by the IWC. There are some indications that whale populations are beginning to recover but such long-lived species with low reproductive rates are incapable of rebuilding their numbers in just a few years.
The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (CCAS) was initiated in response to concerns that the sealing industry could be re-opened after some exploratory research to investigate the viability of sealing in the 1960s. Although commercial sealing did not recommence, the CCAS did establish a regime for sealing providing for permissible catch limits for crabeater, leopard and Weddell seals, a zoning system with closed seasons and total protection for Ross seals, southern elephant seals and certain species of fur seal. However, under Australian law Australians would not be granted a permit for commercial sealing in the Antarctic Treaty area.
The seal populations of Macquarie Island have been protected by the island’s status as a wildlife sanctuary since 1933. The seals of Australia’s subantarctic islands were further protected in 1997 when both Macquarie and the Heard and McDonald Islands were added to the World Heritage list. The exploited seal populations of the Southern Ocean have in recent years recovered very substantially and are no longer endangered.
Whaling
Whale hunting was very famous and it was sold at a very good price to the people all over the world. Whales are used in such things as:
- lamp oil (from sperm oil)
- margarine and cooking oil (from whale oil)
- candles, soaps, cosmetics and perfumes (from sperm oil)
- corsets and umbrellas (from whalebone)
- whale-meat for human consumption.
- animal feed (from meat meal)
- fertiliser (from bone meal)
In the 1960s the IWC became more effective when blue and humpback whales were fully protected; protection was extended to fin and sei whales in the 1970s and in 1986 the IWC decided to suspend all commercial whaling. Since the moratorium was initiated, whaling has been limited to one or two countries that harvest whales under the ‘scientific whaling’ provisions set by the IWC. There are some indications that whale populations are beginning to recover but such long-lived species with low reproductive rates are incapable of rebuilding their numbers in just a few years.
Fishing
Ever since whaling and sealing has decreased fishing has ceased. Fish are really famous around the world for food and jewelry...
Over-exploitation has been a characteristic of most major fisheries world-wide and, unless the controls established for Antarctic fisheries are enforced, the Southern Ocean will be no exception to this. The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) came into force in 1982, as part of the Antarctic Treaty System, with the aim of regulating exploitation rather than outright protection. CCAMLR was established at a time when commercial interests in krill were growing rapidly; it began to be more effective as a management regime in 1991 when the first catch limits were set.
The fish of the Southern Ocean have been the subject of exploratory fishing since the start of the century, however large-scale fishing did not develop until the late 1960s when the Soviet Union targeted marbled notothenid and icefish around South Georgia.
The fishery has not recovered from the early peak (400,000 tonnes harvested in 1969-70) and the subsequent rapid decline. The Patagonian toothfish has recently been targeted at a number of locations in the subantarctic.
Ever since whaling and sealing has decreased fishing has ceased. Fish are really famous around the world for food and jewelry...
Over-exploitation has been a characteristic of most major fisheries world-wide and, unless the controls established for Antarctic fisheries are enforced, the Southern Ocean will be no exception to this. The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) came into force in 1982, as part of the Antarctic Treaty System, with the aim of regulating exploitation rather than outright protection. CCAMLR was established at a time when commercial interests in krill were growing rapidly; it began to be more effective as a management regime in 1991 when the first catch limits were set.
The fish of the Southern Ocean have been the subject of exploratory fishing since the start of the century, however large-scale fishing did not develop until the late 1960s when the Soviet Union targeted marbled notothenid and icefish around South Georgia.
The fishery has not recovered from the early peak (400,000 tonnes harvested in 1969-70) and the subsequent rapid decline. The Patagonian toothfish has recently been targeted at a number of locations in the subantarctic.