ABSTRACT
Antarctica remains the least spoiled continent on Earth and that activities there must be carried out with proper regard for the environmental consequences is also undisputed. The Antarctic is no longer the largely exclusive realm of scientists but now has a much wider constituency with additional diverse political, economic and conservation objectives. As recognised in the Brundtland Report, commmunication and cooperation are fundamental: To focus on longer-term strategies to preserve and build on the achievements of the existing Treaty System, nations must create the means to foster dialogue among politicians, scientists, environmentalists, and industries from countries within and outside it. It follows that the task must surely be to keep the human impact on Antarctica and its ocean to an absolute minimum, and at the same time to utilise its scientific wealth in pursuit of the vital records of the planet's systems and to cherish its landscapes and wildlife as a source of aesthetic inspiration.
