Any area, including any marine area, may be designated as an Antarctic Specially
Protected Area (ASPA) to protect outstanding environmental, scientific, historic,
aesthetic or wilderness values, any combination of those values,
or ongoing or planned scientific research.
A PERMIT IS REQUIRED FOR ENTRY INTO AN ASPA.
The Antarctic Treaty Parties aim to include within a systematic framework
a series of Antarctic Specially Protected Areas, such as:
- areas kept inviolate from human interference so that future
comparisons may be possible with localities that have been
affected by human activities;
- representative examples of major terrestrial, including
glacial and aquatic, ecosystems and marine ecosystems;
- areas with important or unusual assemblages of species,
including major colonies of breeding native birds or mammals;
- the type locality or only known habitat of any species;
- areas of particular interest to on-going or planned scientific
research;
- examples of outstanding geological, glaciological or
geomorphological features;
- areas of outstanding aesthetic and wilderness value;
- sites or monuments of recognized historic value; and
- such other areas as may be appropriate to protect the values
set out in paragraph 1 above.
Specific details on the legal framework for ASPAs can be found in
Annex V to the
Protocol on Environmental
Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.
