No economic activity is conducted at present,
except for fishing off the coast and small-scale tourism, both based
abroad. Antarctic fisheries in 1998-99 (1 July-30 June) reported
landing 119,898 metric tons. Unregulated fishing landed five to six
times more than the regulated fishery, and allegedly illegal fishing
in antarctic waters in 1998 resulted in the seizure (by France and
Australia) of at least eight fishing ships. A total of 10,013 tourists
visited in the 1998-99 summer, up from the 9,604 who visited the
previous year. Nearly all of them were passengers on 16 commercial
(nongovernmental) ships and several yachts that made 116 trips during
the summer. Most tourist trips lasted approximately two weeks.