MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION — Annual Report for 1992 
Conservation and Protection of 
Marine Mammals 
in the Southern Ocean 
As noted in previous annual reports, at least 13 
species of seals and whales inhabit or occur seasonally 
in the Southern Ocean, the seas surrounding Antarcti- 
ca. Many of these species have been or could be 
affected adversely by various human activities in the 
area. Two of the seal species (the Antarctic fur seal 
and the southern elephant seal) and the regional 
populations of humpback, blue, fin, sei, and sperm 
whales were, and in the case of some whale popula- 
tions remain, severely depleted as a result of unregu- 
lated or poorly regulated commercial hunting. 
There has been no commercial sealing in the 
Antarctic since the 1950s. With the exception of 
several elephant seal colonies that have declined in 
recent years for unknown reasons, all of the exploited 
seal stocks appear to have recovered or to be recov- 
ering to pre-exploitation levels. Further, in 1972 the 
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties concluded the 
Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals. 
This Convention, which entered into force in 1977, 
provides for strict regulation of commercial sealing in 
the Antarctic, should it ever be resumed. Also, the 
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties have recognized 
that diseases, such as the one that decimated the 
harbor seal population in the North Sea in 1988, could 
be carried by dogs and other non-native fauna and 
flora. The Parties, in the Antarctic Treaty Protocol 
on Environmental Protection discussed below, have 
taken steps to minimize the risk of exposing Antarctic 
seals and birds to non-indigenous diseases. 
At present, there also is a moratorium on commer- 
cial whaling (see the discussion earlier in this chapter 
on the International Whaling Commission). There- 
fore, neither commercial sealing nor commercial 
whaling presently poses a threat to the continued 
existence of Southern Ocean populations of seals and 
whales. However, both commercial sealing and 
commercial whaling could be resumed in the future. 
In addition, developing fisheries, particularly the 
fishery for Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), pose 
threats to seals, whales, and other species dependent 
upon fish and krill as their principal food source. In 
134 
some areas, construction and operation of scientific 
stations and increasing tourism also pose threats. 
Because of the possible direct and indirect effects 
of fisheries and other activities on marine mammals, 
the Marine Mammal Commission, as noted in previ- 
ous annual reports, has undertaken a continuing 
review of matters that might affect marine mammals, 
krill, or other components of the Southern Ocean 
ecosystem upon which marine mammals may depend. 
It has made recommendations to the National Science 
Foundation, the Department of State, the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the 
National Marine Fisheries Service on the need for 
basic and directed research, and for international 
agreements to effectively regulate sealing, whaling, 
fisheries, non-living resource exploration and develop- 
ment, and related activities in Antarctica and the 
surrounding seas. 
Commission representatives participate in inter- 
agency meetings to develop U.S. policy regarding 
activities in Antarctica. Commission representatives 
also serve as advisors on many of the delegations to 
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings and meetings 
of the Commission and Scientific Committee for the 
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. 
Activities and background information concerning 
activities carried out in 1992 are described below. 
Antarctic Treaty Protocol 
on Environmental Protection 
The Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties, follow- 
ing conclusion of the Convention for the Conservation 
of Antarctic Marine Living Resources in May 1980, 
initiated negotiation of an agreement to govern possi- 
ble mineral resource activities in the Antarctic. The 
negotiations, which were not concluded until June 
1988, produced the Convention on the Regulation of 
Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities. 
Subsequently, France and several other Consulta- 
tive Parties indicated that they would not ratify the 
Convention. They proposed that mineral resource 
activities in the Antarctic be banned and that a sepa- 
