Environmental guidelines for operation of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS): Experience from Antarctica

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), or drones, are increasingly being used in close proximity to wildlife. RPAS can disturb animals in their natural environment, potentially causing stress or harm. However, research on the potential impact of RPAS on wildlife is preliminary and remains poorly understood. RPAS offer many benefits for research applications and other purposes, and can also help reduce wildlife disturbance that might otherwise occur. The Antarctic Treaty Parties recognised a need to develop environmental guidelines for RPAS use as a means to help avoid and/or reduce disturbance to wildlife in Antarctica while allowing for their beneficial use. To do so, a framework based on the Pressure – State – Response model was developed to provide a systematic means to consider relevant influences on RPAS and wildlife interactions. This framework was used as an aid to draft comprehensive environmental guidelines for RPAS use in Antarctica, which were adopted by the Antarctic Treaty Parties in 2018. The guidelines include recommendations for pre-flight preparations, on-site and in-flight protocols, and for post-flight actions and reporting. The guidelines were based on examples developed elsewhere in the world, on available scientific evidence for environmental impacts from RPAS, and through consultation among governments and scientific and technical bodies operating in Antarctica. The environmental guidelines adopted for RPAS operations in Antarctica could provide a model for application elsewhere in the world where there is a need to manage interactions between RPAS and wildlife and to avoid or reduce potential impacts.