Experts from 24 countries are meeting in London this week to draw up new safety and environmental guidelines for shipping in the Antarctic.

The talks are in response to the explosion in the cruising market in recent years.

Many of those going cruising have been seeking out-of-the-way destinations like the Antarctic - in search of unique wildlife, scenery and environmental conditions.

But this has raised concerns among many countries, including Britain, which are signatories to the Antarctic Treaty.

Risk of disaster

While ship design and construction have advanced significantly over the decades, the dangers of operating in Antarctic waters are still considerable.

And the size of cruise ships has increased, as well as the overall number of passengers, so any possible accident carries even greater potential risks, in terms of both safety and damage to the environment.

Many campaigners are also concerned about simple over-exploitation of the environmentally fragile region.

The aim of this week's meeting is to draw up guidelines for ship design and operation that minimise the risks of a major maritime incident.