The Antarctic Treaty System – the Antarctic Treaty and related international conventions – provides a legal and diplomatic regime for the Antarctic region. Its non-governmental counterpart, which is responsible for promoting scientific co-operation, is the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU). SCAR is the single international, interdisciplinary, non-governmental organization which can draw upon the experience and expertise of an international mix of scientists across the complete scientific spectrum. For over 30 years SCAR has provided scientific advice to the Antarctic Treaty System. The membership of SCAR comprises the National Committees of those national scientific academies or research councils which are adhering bodies to ICSU and which are, or plan to be, active in Antarctic research, together with the relevant Scientific Unions of ICSU. SCAR meets every two years to conduct its administrative business and agree policy and strategy. The majority of the scientific work of SCAR, however, is carried out by the Working Groups and Groups of Specialists. Groups of Specialists are created by SCAR in response to specific scientific problems and their members are appointed for the experience and expertise they can bring to the group. Laws (1986) has reviewed these arrangements in relation to Antarctic conservation and the Antarctic Treaty System.

The populations of Antarctic seals are believed greatly to outnumber all other seal populations in the world (Laws, 1984) and following the decline of the great whales are currently the largest group of animals feeding on krill – the staple food of most vertebrates in the Southern Ocean.