Human impacts to Antarctic wildlife: predictions and speculations for 2060

• Main Authors: Woehler, EJ, Ainley, D, Jabour, J
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 2014
• Subjects: Commerce; Management; Tourism and Services; Tourism; Tourism Management; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6582-5_2; http://ecite.utas.edu.au/99339

Four broad categories of human activities that presently threaten Antarcticwildlife in the Antarctic were identified: (1) tourism and non-governmentalactivities,(2) scientific research, (3) commercial fisheries and (4) whaling.Twofurther broad categories of threats that originate from multiple forms of humanactivities are: (1) shipping-related impacts and (2) the introduction of non-nativespecies or disease-causing agents. These threats are not mutually exclusive, andthere are various interactions and synergies present amongst them. We have notincorporated climate change into the assessment of each of these, but brieflyassess the hierarchical contribution of climate change to other threats. We confidentlyexpect an expansion of virtually all anthropogenic activities in the Antarctic(primarily tourism, research and fisheries) in the next 50 years. The threats willalso increase in their complex synergies and interactions, giving further increasingurgency to adopting a more precautionary approach to managing human activitiesin the Antarctic. We present predictions for 2060 and list suggested proactive managementand conservation strategies to address the predicted threats to Antarcticwildlife and their environment.