The paper studies issues related to the implementation of certain types of marine economic activities in the Antarctic, including exploration of the seabed genetic resources, marine scientific research, regulation of fishing activities, combating illegal, uncontrolled and unregulated catch of aquatic biological resources, creation of marine protected areas and development of tourist activity including cruise shipping. The analysis concluded that all these types of activities contain a high conflict potential, often do not have an appropriate legal regulation or in one way or another contradict the current norms of modern international, primarily maritime, law, and are the subject to a high degree of politicization. In general, this leads to the conclusion that the Antarctic Treaty System faces new challenges and has to adapt to the changing conditions, but this adaptation in turn threatens its stability.