Should Canada Update Its Antarctic Environmental Protection Rules?

Official title: Proposed Amendments to the Antarctic Environmental Protection Regulations

Closed Regulations & Permits Environment & Climate
Canada is updating the rules for Canadians who travel to Antarctica for research or tourism. The changes would simplify permit applications and align Canadian rules with international standards. Most Canadians won't be affected—only about five permits are issued each year.

Why This Matters

Planning an Antarctic expedition? These rules affect you. For most Canadians, this is pretty niche—only a handful of researchers and tour operators need Antarctic permits each year. But if you care about protecting one of Earth's last pristine environments, this is how Canada does its part.

What Could Change

Permit applications would become more flexible—you could submit by email instead of using a rigid paper form. Environmental assessments would be tiered based on impact level, so low-impact activities face less paperwork. The lists of protected sites would update automatically with international decisions instead of requiring new regulations each time.

Key Issues

  • Should environmental assessment requirements vary based on expected impact level?
  • Should permit applications be allowed in flexible formats including email?
  • Should protected area lists update automatically with international treaty decisions?

How to Participate

  1. This consultation is now closed. You can view the submitted comments on the Canada Gazette page.

What Happened

The consultation period closed on March 11, 2025. Comments were received and can be viewed on the Canada Gazette page. Some comments containing inappropriate content were moderated or removed.

Key Documents