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Site use Guidelines
Visitor site use guidelines cover 18 sites on the Antarctic Peninsula that are frequently visited by tourists. Site Guidelines are adopted by consensus at Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings. The Antarctic Treaty Secretariat website maintains copies of all up-to-date guidelines on their 'Site Guidelines for Visitors' page. These cover:
Penguin Island (62º 06' S;57º 54' W);
Footprints in slow-growing Antarctic moss can last decades. Guidelines emphasise the need to avoid stepping on any vegetation.
Photo: Stephen Powell |
Barrientos Island, Aitcho Islands (62º 24' S;59º 47' W);
Cuverville Island (64º 41' S;62º 38' W);
Jougla Point (64°49' S;63°30' W);
Goudier Island, Port Lockroy (64°49' S;63°29' W);
Hannah Point (62º 39' S;60º 37' W);
Neko Harbour (64º 50' S; 62º 33' W);
Paulet Island (63º 35' S; 55º 47' W);
Petermann Island (65º 10' S; 64º 10' W);
Pleneau Island (65º 06' S; 64º 04' W);
Turret Point (62º 05' S; 57º 55' W);
Yankee Harbour (62º 32' S; 59º 47' W);
Brown Bluff, Tabarin Peninsula (63°32' S; 56°55' W);
Snow Hill (64°22' S, 56°59' W)
Shingle Cove, Coronation Island (60º 39' S, 45º 34' W)
Devil Island, Vega Island (63° 48' S, 57°167' W)
Whalers Bay, Deception Island, South Shetland Islands (62° 59' S, 60° 34' W)
Half Moon Island, South Shetland Islands (60°36' S, 59°55' W)
The guidelines describe the features of each site, list the wildlife present, establish a visitor code of conduct, and include a map. They confine visits to ships carrying a certain number of passengers, suggest limits on the number of visitors ashore at once and per day, and set precautionary distances from animals, particularly nesting birds.
Site-use guidelines are particularly helpful for places with diverse wildlife and limited visitor space
Photo: Stephen Powell |
The guidelines are not mandatory. However, they have been endorsed by all Antarctic Treaty Parties - as practical provisions to manage visitor-related pressures.
Under Australia's policy on Antarctic tourism, launched in March 2004, we support the Antarctic Treaty system's development of management measures for sites identified as coming under pressure. We view site use guidelines as key tools to identify the sensitivities of frequently visited places, and to recommend sensible controls on visits to protect the values of these sites. Australia encourages all tour operators to follow the guidelines.
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