Emperor penguins in focus as Antarctica talks start in Japan
- On Tuesday, officials from nearly 60 countries gathered in Hiroshima for annual Antarctic Treaty discussions on regional protections and tourism management.
- Governed by the 1959 treaty designating the region as a land of science and peace, Antarctica attracts around 400 government officials and researchers to this year's meeting.
- World Wildlife Fund is urging special protected status for emperor penguins, which the International Union for the Conservation of Nature declared endangered in April due to climate-driven sea ice loss.
- Managing tourism has become a key issue, said Hideki Uyama of Japan's Foreign Affairs Ministry, who chairs the meeting, after nearly 120,000 visitors traveled to Antarctica in 2024-25.
- Francisco Berguno, executive secretary of the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat, urged "long-term thinking," though some sources suggest consensus on new protections in Hiroshima remains unlikely.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Nations to Meet in Hiroshima to Discuss Peaceful Use of Antarctica
The Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, which governs the peaceful use of Antarctica, started in Hiroshima on Monday. The main topics of discussion include measures to address the surge in tourists and the impact of climate change — such as the retreat of sea ice — on the ecosystem. This marks the third time the meeting has been held in Japan and the first time in 32 years since it was last held in Kyoto in 1994. The meeting will continue thr…
Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese city of Hiroshima has been hosting an international Antarctic Treaty conference since this Tuesday, which for almost 70 years has protected this vast expanse of ice from the south pole, threatened by climate change and tourism.These are the key points on Antarctica and the challenges it faces: The Antarctic Treaty The Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959 by twelve countries - including Argentina, Chile, the United State…
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