National Geographic - USA (2021-11)

A PROPOSAL TO HELP PRESERVE WILDLIFE

ON THE WESTERN ANTARCTIC PENINSULA

AS TEMPERATURES RISE WOULD

CREATE FOUR PROTECTION ZONES.

Gene

ral^ P

rote

ction

Zon

e

(Fishing

off-lim

its)

P

R

O

P

O

S

E

D

A

N

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lli

ngs

hau

sen^

Sea

Ro

nn

e (^) E
ntr
anc
e
Wilkins
Ice Shelf
Stange
Ice Shelf
(^70) °S
(^80) °W
Chinstrap
Gentoo
Emperor
Adélie
(up to 75 mFari)
(up to 12 mNeari)
Year-roundresearch station
Seasonalresearch station
Msite in 2020ain tourist landing
Krill fishing intensity
HUMAN ACTIVITY NATURAL ACTIVITY
PENGUINS
Foraginglimit Breedingcolony
SEALS
Breedingisland
Lower Higher Antarctic fur
Southernelephant
50 mi
50 km
The cold, nutrient-rich waters off the coast of the Antarc
a plethora of living things, including thousands of seals a
tiny, shrimplike crustaceans called krill they depend on. U
way to formally protect the region’s delicate—and threat
VULNERABLE BOUNT
Krill anchor the food chain
The western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula
is the hatchery for the krill that sustain many
species, including migratory whales. But fish-
ing vessels fromNorway, and Ukraine extract thousands of tons Chile, China, South Korea,
for products such as health supplements and
fish food, and global demand for krill keeps
growing. Under a new proposal, krill fishing could continue in designated areas but would
be prohibited in general protection zones.
Such areas bolster the entire fishery by giving
species a refuge in which to feed and breed.
125
250
375
2010 2015
Antarctic krill cat(thousands of metrci
MKELSEY NOWATTHEW W. CHWAKOWASTYK, NGMSKI; ERIC KNIGHT STAFF
Tourism on the rise
Nearly 75,000 visitors intent on seeing
Antarctic wildlife such as whales came to the
peninsula during the year beforpandemic—a ninefold increase e the coronavirus since 1993.
Human presence can disrupt animals’ natural
ways and pollute the environment.
SOURCES: AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC DATA CENTRE; BRITISCONSERVATION OF ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCH
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ANTARCTIC TOUR OPER