No one country exclusively owns or governs Antarctica. This simple fact places the continent, its surrounding islands and oceans, and its amazing wildlife at enormous risk for environmental harm. For thirty years, the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) has successfully led efforts to promote conservation and ensure adherence to environmental standards in the face of exploitation pressures from commercial fishing, mining and tourism companies. As an official observer to the Antarctic Treaty System, we also closely monitor the activities of the nations with a presence on the Antarctic continent. We are proud to have over 100 NGO members who support our efforts and over 30 Council members who work with us on policy development and representation at important meetings.
ASOC was founded in 1978. At the time, Antarctic environmental issues received little attention, yet environmental damage was a growing problem. ASOC sought to increase awareness of these issues and convince Antarctic Treaty Parties to abide by stricter environmental regulations in areas such as waste disposal, habitat protection, and natural resources management.
Today, ASOC continues to advocate on behalf of the Antarctic environment and ecosystems. Major campaigns include the Antarctic Krill Conservation Project, which works to protect the base of the Antarctic food web, regulating Antarctic tourism, protecting the Ross Sea, strengthening the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, managing Southern Ocean Fisheries sustainably, and implementing the Environment Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty. We hope you will support our efforts to keep Antarctica pristine!