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Antarctica remains a unique example of international cooperation, but rising tourism, strategic ambitions, and resource interests are testing the limits of the Antarctic Treaty System.
Antarctica remains a unique example of international cooperation, but rising tourism, strategic ambitions, and resource interests are testing the limits of the Antarctic Treaty System.
The Antarctic Treaty, established in 1959 to guarantee peace and scientific collaboration, is under growing strain. With 53 nations now involved, including new actors like China and India, consensus-based decision-making is increasingly complex. China’s construction of a fifth research base and the expansion of Antarctic tourism highlight the challenges of regulating activities in this fragile environment.
Key issues include fishing rights, bio-prospecting, and potential resource exploitation, all of which could become contentious as climate change opens new areas and makes the continent more accessible. Experts warn that the treaty’s current mechanisms may be insufficient to manage these pressures, with decisions requiring unanimous agreement leaving any one nation with effective veto power.
Despite these tensions, Antarctica still serves as a model for cooperation: countries rely on each other to survive in extreme conditions, and scientific collaboration remains a high priority. Observers suggest the Antarctic Treaty could offer lessons for governance in other contested regions, such as the Arctic or international space.
For more information follow the link to the full article on FT.com!
With the scientists and several crew members having returned home, the attention of the remaining thirteen team members at the station turns to the many tasks they must complete before the end of the season. The next couple of weeks will be packed!
After one month in Antarctica collecting samples and data at the Princess Elisabeth and in the field, the scientists who came to the station this season will be departing on the next flight along with several members of the crew.
The scientific season is in full swing at Princess Elisabeth Antarctica (PEA).
The popular online webinar featuring engineers and scientists from the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica returns for a second edition on January 15th!
The International Polar Foundation is saddened to announce the passing of friend and Trustee Meredith Hooper on 27 December 2025 in London.
Last week as the BELARE team rang in 2026, the PASPARTOUT project began its field campaign for this season, the ROMA and SnowFlux projects continued setting up instruments in the vicinity of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. Soon Alain Hubert and Tim Grosrenaud will start their reconnaissance missions at the coast accompanied by Simon Steffen heading back out to work on instruments for the PEACE and NISAR projects.
On December 19th, new crew members and scientists arrived at PEA to start their mission in Antarctica. Since their arrival, they’ve been doing mandatory safety training and preparing for their field missions.
As the Perseus International Airfield opens for incoming team mebers and scientists, operations at Princess Elisabeth Antarctica move full steam ahead for logistics, infrastructure, and science.
The International Polar Foundation is delighted to share an exciting update from 2018 Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellow Dr. Kate Winter of Northumbria University, whose fieldwork around the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica contributed to a major peer-reviewed publication on carbon capture in East Antarctica.
The last week the BELARE team has been busy preparing the three-kilometre long runway at Perseus International Airfield, going on field expeditions, and working on station upgrades.
