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The Antarctic (Amendment) Regulations 2025

S.I. 2025/672 · Made 3 June 2025

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ANTARCTICA

Made

3rd June 2025

Laid before Parliament

11th June 2025

Coming into force

16th July 2025

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 9(1), 10(1), 25(1) and (3) and 32 of the Antarctic Act 1994f1.

Contents

  1. 1Citation, commencement and interpretation
  2. 2Amendments to the principal Regulations
  3. Signature
  4. Schedule 1: Restricted Areas
  5. Schedule 2: Antarctic Historic Sites and Monuments
  6. Explanatory note

1Citation, commencement and interpretation

(1)

These Regulations may be cited as the Antarctic (Amendment) Regulations 2025 and come into force on 16th July 2025.

(2)

In these Regulations, “the principal Regulations” means the Antarctic Regulations 1995f1.

2Amendments to the principal Regulations

(1)

The principal Regulations are amended as set out in paragraphs (2)-(5).

(2)

The following areas listed in Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations are deleted—

(a)

Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 103: Ardery Island and Odbert Island, Budd Coast, Wilkes Land;

(b)

Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 106: Cape Hallett, Northern Victoria Land, Ross Sea;

(c)

Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 116: New College Valley, Caughley Beach, Cape Bird, Ross Island;

(d)

Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 133: Harmony Point, Nelson Island, South Shetland Islands;

(e)

Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 137: Northwest White Island, McMurdo Sound;

(f)

Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 145: Port Foster, Deception Island, South Shetland Islands;

(g)

Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 151: Lions Rump, King George Island, South Shetland Islands;

(h)

Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 154: Botany Bay, Cape Geology, Victoria Land;

(i)

Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 156: Lewis Bay, Mount Erebus, Ross Island;

(j)

Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 157: Backdoor Bay, Cape Royds, Ross Island;

(k)

Antarctic Specially Protected Areas No. 158: Hut Point, Ross Island.

(3)

The areas listed and described in Schedule 1 to these Regulations are added to Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations.

(4)

The following sites and monuments listed in Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations are deleted—

(a)

Site No. 24;

(b)

Site No. 26;

(c)

Site No. 29;

(d)

Site No. 36;

(e)

Site No. 38;

(f)

Site No. 39;

(g)

Site No. 40;

(h)

Site No. 41;

(i)

Site No. 42;

(j)

Site No. 43;

(k)

Site No. 63;

(l)

Site No. 75;

(m)

Site No. 93.

(5)

The Antarctic Historic Sites and Monuments listed in Schedule 2 to these Regulations are added to Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations.

Signature

Stephen Doughty

Minister of State

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

3rd June 2025

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations update the Antarctic Regulations 1995 (S.I. 1995/490) to reflect measures adopted at the Forty-third Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, held at Paris in June 2021; the Forty-fourth Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, held at Berlin in May-June 2022; the Forty-fifth Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, held at Helsinki in May-June 2023; and the Forty-sixth Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, held at Kochi in May 2024.

They amend Schedule 1 to those Regulations by:

  • replacing the descriptions of Antarctic Specially Protected Areas Nos. 103, 106, 116, 133, 137, 145, 151, 154, 156, 157 and 158 with revised versions, and

  • adding descriptions of new Antarctic Specially Protected Areas Nos. 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181 and 182.

They also amend Schedule 2 to those Regulations by:

  • replacing the descriptions of Antarctic Historic Sites and Monuments Nos. 24, 26, 29, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 63, 75 and 93 with revised versions, and

  • adding Antarctic Historic Site and Monument No. 96.

Command Paper CP 726 (2022), “The Antarctic Treaty: Measures adopted at the Forty-Third Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting”, is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-antarctic-treaty-measures-adopted-at-the-43rd-consultative-meeting-2021.

Command Paper CP 841 (2023), “The Antarctic Treaty: Measures adopted at the Forty-fourth Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting”, is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-antarctic-treaty-measures-adopted-at-the-44th-consultative-meeting-2022.

Command Paper CP 1048 (2024), “The Antarctic Treaty: Measures adopted at the Forty-fifth Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting”, is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-antarctic-treaty-measures-adopted-at-the-45th-consultative-meeting-2023.

Command Paper CP 1287 (2025), “The Antarctic Treaty: Measures adopted at the Forty-sixth Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting”, is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-antarctic-treaty-measures-adopted-at-the-46th-consultative-meeting-2024.

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private or voluntary sector is foreseen.