, which most expedition cruise companies belong to, tightened up its biosecurity protocols governing members last winter. Procedures have included assessing landing sites for signs of bird flu, not going ashore if they are present, and leaving if any behavioural signs become apparent. Cruise passengers are told not to sit, kneel or lie down on the ground, or leave any equipment, close to animal activity.){kind=link}
As bird flu fears see cruise ships adopt new protocols, there are concerns that visits to the region may need to be cancelled altogether
Expedition cruise lines that sail in Antarctica are enforcing stricter precautions against the growing threat of avian flu this winter amid concerns that passengers could be stopped from going ashore to prevent cross-contamination.
Scientists warn that the H5N1 virus will wreak a deadly toll across the continent’s vast penguin colonies if it gains a foothold, and they fear migrating birds from South America – which has already been badly hit by bird flu – will spread the disease as the austral summer approaches.
This also coincides with the main Southern Hemisphere cruise season, which runs from November to March, when more than 60 ships are expected to cross the Drake Passage to visit the Antarctic Peninsula.
Sailings to the region have boomed in recent years, fuelled by a new generation of modern expedition ships built to withstand extreme conditions, and rising demand from travellers eager to explore this pristine but inhospitable wilderness.