site.btaTourism Should Be Allowed to Develop in Antarctica But with Some Restrictions, Scientist Says

Tourism Should Be Allowed to Develop in Antarctica But with Some Restrictions, Scientist Says

Sofia, June 12 (BTA) - Bulgarian Antarctic Institute President
Christo Pimpirev told BTA in a videotaped interview on Friday
that tourism should be allowed to develop in Antarctica but
there must be some restrictions. "This continent is not the
exclusive province of scientists, it belongs to all humanity,
but any tourist activities there should follow strict rules in
order to prevent possible damage to its unique and vulnerable
animal, vegetative and natural environment," Pimpirev said.

"There should be tourists, but large ships should be subject to
limitations. Even now, visitors to Antarctica cannot come in
groups larger than 20 or 30 people," the scientist said,
speaking two days after the 38th Antarctic Treaty Consultative
Meeting ended in Sofia.

In Pimpirev's opinion, the meeting was very successful as it
made important decisions about conserving Antarctica's unique
nature.

Antarctica is very much affected by climate change, he said,
noting that the icy continent is the weather maker for the whole
 world. Glaciers are melting in the western part of the
continent, and penguins, whose reproduction and way of life
depends on ice, are decreasing. Studies conducted by Bulgarian
scientists show that penguins have heavy metals in their
feathers, a sign of pollution from the industrialized part of
the world, he said.

Penguins, seals and whales feed on a type of small crustaceans
called krill, whose population is beginning to diminish due to
climate change. This will entail irreversible consequences along
 the whole food chain, Pimpirev warned. The Antarctic coastline,
 where lichens and mosses were the only plants until several
decades ago, has seen the emergence of herbaceous plants, he
said.