Hughes, K.A.

Liggett, D.

Roldan, G.

Wilmotte, A.

Xavier, J.C.

Open Marine Archive

441 
 
S20: Achieving environmental outcomes through the tools of the Antarctic Treaty Systems 
Linking Antarctic science with environmental protection policies: Do 
scientists and policy-makers speak the same language? 
Xavier Jose C.1,2, Daniela Liggett3, Gabriela Roldan3, Annick Wilmotte4 and Kevin A. Hughes2 
1 Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE-UC), University of Coimbra, 3001-401 Coimbra, 
Portugal  
E-mail: JCCX@cantab.net 
2   British Antarctic Survey, High Cross Madingley Road, Cambridge, UK 
3  Gateway Antarctica, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand  
4  Centre for Protein Engineering, Department of Life Sciences, Liège University, 4000 Liège, Belgium  
 
For over half a century, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) has supported the 
Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) in providing evidence-based science to inform managers of 
environmental issues in the Antarctic.  This expert advice has formed the basis for many policies 
directed towards the protection of the Antarctic environment. A mini-symposium was held in 
Malaysia, at the 2016 SCAR OSC, aimed to highlight the policy relevance of research carried out by 
the international Antarctic research community in influencing decisions taken by the policy-makers 
of the Antarctic Treaty Parties.  In this presentation, we will present the highlights from this mini-
symposium, with a focus on assessing to what extent the research carried out by Antarctic 
scientists has made a substantial contribution to the development of regulatory mechanisms 
through the ATS. Moreover, we will illustrate how such contributions can facilitate discussions on 
how SCAR researchers can further engage with ATS issues and assist in identifying the most 
pressing scientific and environmental challenges the ATS should address.  While it is no surprise 
that the ATS and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, in particular, are 
central to Antarctic environmental protection, the policy relevance and value of robust, evidence-
based science can be underestimated by policy makers.  A need exists for improved two-way 
communication between Antarctic scientists and policy makers to foster evidence-based decision-
making.  In many cases, scientists need to work internationally and collaboratively to provide of 
substantial scientific insights that are of relevance to policy makers, and more needs to be done to 
ensure that these insights are communicated in an appropriate and efficient manner to policy-
makers.  The coordination between scientists, science managers, policy makers and funding bodies 
may need to be enhanced to ensure resources are available to fund policy-relevant science.   
 
Reference 
- Hughes, K. A., Liggett, D., Roldan, G., Wilmotte, A, and Xavier, J. C. Narrowing the science/policy 
gap for environmental management.  Antarctic Science: DOI: 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0954102016000407  
   


Linking Antarctic science with environmental protection policies: Do scientists and policy-makers speak the same language?

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