Contaminants can persist in the environment for a long time and be transported over long distances. They have even been detected in remote regions such as Antarctica. There, they can accumulate along the food chain and cause harmful effects in organisms. As a result, they pose a risk to the sensitive Antarctic ecosystems.
The world's oceans are increasingly under threat from overfishing, pollution and global climate change, all of which have significantly deteriorated marine environments for decades. The Antarctic Ocean is one of Earth's last relatively pristine oceans. Marine Protected Areas can help to conserve its fragile marine environment.
The Antarctic Treaty System provides special protection for the Antarctic environment. This protection of very sensitive areas both on shore and in the ocean is provided under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty and the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CAMLR-Convention).
In the light of the growing interest in utilisation of Antarctica's resources, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CAMLR-Convention) was adopted on 20 May 1980. It entered into force on 7 April 1982.
