Founded in 1978, ASOC is the only non-governmental organization working full time to preserve the Antarctic continent and its surrounding Southern Ocean. A coalition of over 30 NGOs interested in Antarctic environmental protection, ASOC represents the environmental community at Antarctic governance meetings and works to promote important Antarctic conservation goals.
Though Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are far away, we believe that the continent and its surrounding ocean are the natural heritage of all humankind and seek to ensure that Antarctic ecosystems - both terrestrial and marine - remain protected and intact.
Our two major campaigns are creation of a network of large Marine Protected Areas (carried out in cooperation with the Antarctic Ocean Alliance), and negotiation of a legally binding Polar Code that covers all vessels operating in the Southern Ocean.
ASOC monitors all issues that impact the Antarctic, including climate change, tourism, fisheries management, biological prospecting and pirate fishing. Present campaigns include negotiation of a legally-binding Polar Code regulating all vessels operating in the Antarctic; establishing a representative network of marine reserves by 2012, including Marine Protected Area status for the Ross Sea; managing Southern Ocean Fisheries sustainably, including krill - the base of the Antarctic food web; regulating Antarctic tourism and biological prospecting; strengthening the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary; and monitoring implementation of the Environment Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty.