Overview
- Delegations from nearly 60 treaty signatories opened annual talks in Hiroshima to set environmental rules for Antarctica.
- The agenda centers on emperor penguins after the IUCN listed the species as endangered last month.
- WWF is urging a special protection listing to respond to sea ice breaking up earlier in the year, which removes the stable platforms the birds use to breed.
- Delegates are also weighing how to manage almost 120,000 visitors in 2024–25, including limits on areas and activities such as kayaking and hot-air ballooning.
- Consensus is required for any change, and officials warned a decision on upgraded safeguards is unlikely at this meeting.