ANTARCTIC PROTECTED AREA SYSTEM:
AGREED MEASURES FOR THE CONSERVATION OF ANTARCTIC FAUNA AND FLORA: AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE VIII
(MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR SPECIALLY PROTECTED AREAS)

The Representatives,

Noting that under Article VIII of the Agreed Measures:
(i) paragraph 1 provides for designation as Specially Protected Areas, "areas of outstanding scientific interest ... in order to preserve their unique natural ecological system";

(ii) paragraph 2(c) provides that entry into a Specially Protected Area is prohibited except in accordance with a permit;

(iii) paragraph 4 provides that "such a permit shall have effect within a Specially Protected Area provided that:
(a) it was issued for a compelling scientific purpose which cannot be served elsewhere; and
(b) the actions permitted thereunder will not jeopardise the natural ecological system existing in that Area";

Noting further that Recommendation VII-2 urges that representative examples of the major Antarctic land and freshwater ecological systems shall be included in the series of Specially Protected Areas;

Desiring to provide for greater certainty in the interpretation of paragraph 4 by means of the application of management plans relevant to each Specially Protected Area;

Recognising that to be fully effective such Management Plans must be accorded the same status as the conditions in subparagraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph 4;

Recommend to their Governments that:

(i) the following subparagraph be added to paragraph 4 of Article VIII:

"and (c) the actions permitted thereunder are in accordance with any Management Plan accompanying the description of a Specially Protected Area";

(ii) subparagraph (a) be amended to remove the word "and";
and

(iii) the full stop at the end of subparagraph (b) be changed to a semicolon.