International law is not up to the task of protecting our polar regions, according to scientists meeting in Iceland at a UN conference. As more and more people head to the poles for tourism, research or commerce delegates to the meeting are fretting over over-fishing, pollution and invasive species.

“Many experts believe this new rush to the polar regions is not manageable within existing international law,” says A.H. Zakri, director of the UN University’s Institute of Advanced Studies (press release). “Pressure on Earth’s unique and highly vulnerable polar areas is mounting quickly and an internationally-agreed set of rules built on new realities appears needed to many observers.”

A number of those attending the conference believe that the current suite of laws is not clear enough, which could have devastating consequences if, for example, oil spills resulted from drilling.

“Oil in particular and risks of shipping in the Arctic are big issues,” conference chairman David Leary told Reuters. He added, to AFP, “With the area being more accessible, there’s more activity and thereby more risk of some form of accident, like a vessel sinking or even a new oil spill along the lines of Exxon Valdez.”

A list of recommendations is being drawn up at the meeting and should be agreed by Tuesday.

More coverage

Arctic countries shouldn’t have sole control over North, conference to hear – Canadian Press

Image: Daily Arctic sea ice extent for September 3, 2008, was 4.85 million square kilometers (1.87 million square miles). The orange line shows the 1979 to 2000 average extent for that day. From the NSIDC.