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Since their creation under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program in 1976, biosphere reserves have provided an international [...]

Soviet Union fishing fleets found Patagonian toothfish in 1985 off the Kerguelen Islands in the Southern Ocean. In a few short years, toothfish became heavily fished and the viability of the fishery was put in question. This pressure largely arose from illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing that undermined fisheries management by coastal states and the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) Commission. The International Southern Oceans Longline Fisheries Information Clearing House (1SOFISH), based in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, raised awareness about IUU fishing among governments, fishers, and the community. This article presents a case study of ISOFISH and the influence this nongovernment organization coalition exerted on the international community.

The Antarctic Treaty's Madrid Protocol proposes collective planning and activities to preserve the environment in Antarctica. The assignment of Larsemann Hills, the site of many Antarctic research expeditions, as a specially managed area will reduce environmental risks in the region. The Protocol also established the Antarctica Specially Protected Area to safeguard areas untouched by humanity. The formation of the Committee for Environmental Protection will assist in the implementation of the Protocol.

The Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwlth) was proclaimed on 16 July 2000. This Act represents the most fundamental reform of environment legislation since the 1970s and it will change dramatically the role of the Commonwealth in environmental impact assessment. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act provides for Commonwealth involvement in environmental impact assessment to be focused on six matters of `national environmental significance'. Another significant feature of this Act is that it provides a framework for the accreditation of State and Territory environmental assessment and approval processes. This article provides an outline of the repealed Federal environmental impact assessment legislation, the Environment Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act 1974 (Cwlth), an assessment of its deficiencies and a discussion of the key reviews of Commonwealth environmental impact assessment. The main features of the new Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, along with the debate regarding the future role of the Commonwealth in environmental impact assessment, are then discussed. The issue of whether the new Act reflects an expansion or devolution of Commonwealth power with respect to environmental impact assessment is addressed and it is argued that the Act has the potential to expand Commonwealth power.

Recent research has explored the size and nature of the cruise ship industry and to a lesser extent the impacts of social interaction upon the experiences of individuals while cruising. However, there is little research that examines the performative aspects of social groups that form as a result of social interaction. Using a neo-tribal lens, we examine this phenomenon in the context of passengers on board an Antarctic expedition cruise ship. The neo-tribal lens offers insights into the lifestyles, sense of belonging, rituals and meeting places that form amongst groups of passengers. This research progresses the conceptualization of neo-tribes by suggesting that neo-tribes are a phenomenon that may occur in confined, liminal places. In doing so it advances an understanding of the outcomes of the cruise ship experience by looking past individualistic outcomes, to the behavioural aspects that can result from undertaking a cruise ship holiday in Antarctica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UNESCO's World Heritage Convention provides for the protection of natural and cultural heritage deemed to be of Outstanding Universal Value. The 1031 sites inscribed on World Heritage List are a source of prestige for the countries where they occur. However, conflicts between protection of Outstanding Universal Value and resource extraction can arise within large-scale natural landscapes. The tall-eucalypt forests of the Australian island of Tasmania have been at the heart of such a conflict for over 30 years. The aim of this paper is to analyse how the processes of the Convention respond to contrasting approaches by a State Party. The paper traces the history of the dispute over Tasmania's tall-eucalypt forests through the Convention's processes of evaluation, inscription and boundary modification. In particular, it considers the processes and outcomes pertaining to two diametrically opposed proposals for minor modification to the boundaries of the Tasmanian Wilderness made by consecutive Australian governments in 2013 and 2014: the first was for the purpose of protecting the forests, and the second for opening them to logging in order to fulfil a domestic election promise. In each case, criteria weighted in favour of long-term heritage protection played a critical role. The application of these criteria, combined with strong domestic concern and the ability of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee to prioritize heritage protection, has resulted in the protection of these forests and the enhancement of the ecological resilience of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The paper concludes that the power of an international treaty can transcend the vicissitudes of domestic politics and provide enduring protection of Outstanding Universal Value, particularly when backed by strong domestic scrutiny and community support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]