Federal Minister for the Environment Steffi Lemke commented: “The Danger Islands are home to rare seabirds as well as one of the world's largest breeding colonies of Adelie penguins. I am delighted that Germany has made an important contribution to expanding the Antarctic network of protected areas to include these seven islands. It shows that international cooperation to protect the environment is possible and it works. The current decision will help to better preserve the pristine nature of Antarctica.”
Dirk Messner, President of the German Environment Agency stated: “The designation as a protected area is a groundbreaking step towards the further development of Antarctic environmental protection and the strengthening of the successful international treaty system. I am delighted that my office, together with the research partner Thuringian Institute for Sustainability and Climate Protection (ThINK), has been able to make a contribution to this.”
The 46th annual meeting of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) took place in Kochi, India, from May 20 to 30, 2024. At this meeting, the states decided to designate the area of the Danger Islands as an Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) at the suggestion of Germany and the USA. This is the first time that Germany has initiated the designation of a new protected area in the Antarctic and prepared it together with the USA, as US scientists first drew attention to the enormous importance of the area for the Adelie penguin. Both countries are now assuming responsibility for the management and monitoring of the area.
Scientific contribution
Antje Boetius, Director of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, visited the Danger Islands as part of a research trip. The research work included various mapping tasks in collaboration with researchers from the US, Chile, France and Monaco. She pointed out that: “The islands are very suitable as a protected area due to their diversity in origin, population density and species diversity. The high occurrence of various whales and other marine mammals in this area also shows that ambitious protection helps. In view of the major challenges, such as climate change and the increasing pollution of the oceans, it is crucial that we provide more refuges for this unique diversity of life.”
A unique ecosystem
The Danger Islands, an archipelago at the north-eastern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, consist of seven islands with a total area of around 4.5 km². Despite their small size, the islands are a breeding ground for a species-rich seabird community and are home to the largest population of Adelie penguins on the entire Antarctic Peninsula, with over 750,000 breeding pairs. Like the emperor penguin, the Adelie penguin is found in the southernmost regions and is therefore a true Antarctic specialist. Adelie penguins feed mainly on krill, small luminous shrimps, which are found in large numbers in Antarctic marine waters and form the basis of the Antarctic marine food chain. Compared to the rest of Antarctica, the Antarctic Peninsula is the most affected by global warming, but it is also considered a hotspot of biodiversity, including the breeding grounds of the majority of Antarctic seabirds.
Future-oriented measures
Germany is committed to ensuring that the Danger Islands remain protected from negative influences such as increasing tourism. Scientific research is welcome as long as it does not contradict the objectives of the protected area. Mapping of the large bird populations has already begun in order to draw conclusions about the development of the penguin population and the state of the marine Antarctic ecosystem.
At the same time, Germany is pressing ahead with work on another potential protected area, the Otto von Gruber Mountains. The aim is for this area to also be declared a protected area by the ATCM next year.
In principle, areas in the Antarctic with exceptional ecological, scientific, historical and aesthetic value can be designated as protected areas under the Protocol on Environmental Protection in the Antarctic Treaty. Germany's aim is to establish a coherent and representative network of protected areas in Antarctica – a continent one and a half times the size of Europe.
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