Penguins would see smaller groups of tourists waddling onshore from their cruise ships in Antarctica, if US delegates have their way at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, starting today in Baltimore.

The delegates aim to require visitors to abide by a series of currently voluntary limits, such as keeping shore parties down to 100 tourists at a time, reports the Associated Press. The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) already provides tour operators with guidelines designed to minimize their impact on Antarctica’s environment and natural inhabitants.

But private Antarctic cruises had their first serious accidents recently, including a sinking in 2007 and two groundings in 2008-2009, according to the Associated Press. Partly in response, the US delegation will push for better lifeboats, reports the Baltimore Sun. Limiting the size of cruise ships in the area might also help keep the number of future shipwrecked passengers manageable, the New York Times noted last month.

The Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959 to jointly manage the continent’s environment and restrict military competition over territorial claims on the continent. Today, armies of tourists appear to be the biggest threat. Since the early 1990s, annual visitor numbers have grown from the low thousands to over 45,000 this season. Penguin numbers are harder to track.

Image: NOAA