Protecting sentient animals at the bottom of the world from climate catastrophe
Antarctica supports extraordinary concentrations of wildlife: Emperor penguins, Adélie penguins, crabeater seals, leopard seals, Weddell seals, multiple whale species, and vast seabird colonies. Climate change is altering this ecosystem faster than almost anywhere on Earth, with welfare consequences for animals whose entire life histories are adapted to specific ice and ocean conditions.
Emperor penguins breed on sea ice that forms in winter and must persist until chicks fledge in December. Unprecedented ice loss in 2022 broke up before chicks could swim, causing massive chick mortality. The welfare suffering of chicks drowning or starving, and adults failing to raise offspring, represents both individual and population-level catastrophe.
Antarctic krill (Euphaupsia superba) underpin the entire Antarctic food web. Climate change and krill fishing both reduce krill availability. When krill are scarce, penguins, seals, and whales face starvation stress — a welfare issue affecting billions of krill and millions of predators. The CCAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources) manages krill fisheries but faces pressure to allow increased harvests.
Over 100,000 tourists visit Antarctica annually. While strictly regulated under the Antarctic Treaty system, tourist and research vessel traffic, helicopter noise, and human presence near colonies causes disturbance-related stress in penguins and seals. Minimum approach distances (5 meters for penguins) are often violated. Research activities including banding, blood sampling, and tracking device attachment cause direct welfare costs that must be justified by scientific benefit.