Antarctic Specially Protected Area
To be particularly protected area of Antarctica ( Antarctic Specially Protected Area English - ASPA ), an area in Antarctica or on nearby islands including marine areas subject to the Antarctic Treaty, are designated to protect outstanding environmental, scientific, historical or aesthetic values . This is regulated by Annex V (protection and management of areas ) of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. Entry into these areas without permission is prohibited.
Criteria
To be included in the series of specially protected areas:
- Areas that have remained unscathed by the action of the people, so that in the future compared with places are possible that have been affected by human activities;
- Typical examples of major terrestrial, including glacial and aquatic ecosystems and marine ecosystems;
- Areas with significant or unusual accumulations of species, including large colonies of native birds and mammals, which propagate in the area;
- The typical or only known habitat of species;
- Areas of particular interest for the ongoing or planned scientific research;
- Examples of outstanding geological, glaciological or geomorphological conditions;
- Areas that are unique for their aesthetic value and their originality;
- Sites or monuments of recognized historic value;
- Other areas that are suitable for the protection of the recited values .
Each Contracting Party, the Environment Committee, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research and the Commission for the Conservation of Marine Living Resources, Antarctic are entitled to propose areas for designation as ASPA through the submission of a management plan of the ATCM to the Antarctic Treaty. The management plan should contain an accurate description of the area (geographic coordinates, constraints, access, etc.) and its assets to be protected. It will set out a code of conduct for activities in the area and describe conditions for the granting of permits.
The ASPA replaced the valid until 1991 SPA ( Specially Protected Area - particularly protected area ) and SSSI ( Site of Special Scientific Interest - Site of Special Scientific Interest ).
In 2013 there were 73 specially protected areas in the Antarctic.