Antarctic Treaty Insp 2005
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ANTARCTIC TREATY INSPECTIONS 2005 Report of Antarctic Treaty Inspections undertaken jointly by the United Kingdom, Australia and Perú in accordance with Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty and Article 14 of the Environmental Protocol. Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London, UK Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia Instituto Antártico Peruano, Lima, Peru ANTARCTIC TREATY INSPECTIONS 2005. Report of Antarctic Treaty Inspections undertaken jointly by the United Kingdom, Australia and Peru in accordance with Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty and Article 14 of the Environmental Protocol. Contents Page Number Introduction 3-5 Acknowledgements 8 General Remarks and Conclusions 9 Major Recommendations 14 Stations 1. Vice Comodoro Marambio Argentina 16 2. Petrel Argentina 24 3. Esperanza Argentina 28 4. Comandante Ferraz Brazil 34 5. King Sejong Republic of Korea 40 6. Bellingshausen Russian Federation 46 7. Great Wall Peoples Republic 54 of China 8. St Kliment Ochridski Bulgaria 61 9. Juan Carlos I Spain 66 10. Gabriel de Castilla Spain 71 11. Base Decepción Argentina 77 12. Akademik Vernadsky Ukraine 82 13. Rothera Research Station United Kingdom 88 14. San Martin Argentina 94 Unoccupied Stations 15. T/N Ruperto Elichiribehety Uruguay 98 16. Pedro Vicente Maldonado Ecuador 99 17. Capitán Arturo Prat Chile 100 18. Risopatron Chile 102 19. Almirante Brown Argentina 103 20. Presidente Gabriel Gonzalez Videla Chile 104 21. Yelcho Chile 105 22. Teniente Luis Carvajal Villaroel Chile 106 Station Under Construction 23. Unnamed Czech Station Czech Republic 107 (James Ross Island) 1 Contents Page Number Historic Sites and Monuments 24. ‘Base A’, Port Lockroy United Kingdom 109 25. ‘Base F, (Wordie House), Winter Island United Kingdom 112 26. ‘Base Y’, Horseshoe Island United Kingdom 113 27. Stonington East Base United States of 115 America 28. ‘Base E’, Stonington Island United Kingdom 116 Vessels 29. M/V Professor Molchanov Russian Federation 117 Visits and Miscellaneous 30. Eco-Nelson Private (Czech 121 national) 31. Yachts 123 32. Presidente Eduardo Frei Chile 125 Appendix 1 Responses received 127 Cover picture: View of the Osterrieth Range, Gerlache Strait 2 ANTARCTIC TREATY INSPECTIONS 2005. Report of Antarctic Treaty Inspections undertaken jointly by the United Kingdom, Australia and Peru in accordance with Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty and Article 14 of the Environmental Protocol. Introduction Inspections were conducted jointly during February and March, 2005 by the United Kingdom, Australia and Peru in the Antarctic Peninsula region. The Inspections were undertaken by Observers designated by their respective governments in accordance with the notification procedures of Article VII (1) of the Antarctic Treaty. Observers so designated were: For the United Kingdom: • Dr. M.G. Richardson (MR), Head of the Polar Regions Unit, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London. • Mr. R.H. Downie (RD), Environmental Manager, British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge. For Australia: • Mr. T. R. Maggs (TM), Environmental Manager, Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania. For Peru: • Mr. J.C. Rivera (JR), Environmental Officer, Instituto Antártico Peruano. The logistic platform for the Inspection Programme was provided by the United Kingdom’s Ice Patrol Vessel HMS Endurance. Most Inspections were made using the ship’s two Lynx helicopters, with a few exceptions which were made by small boat. Helicopter support allowed for flexible and speedy logistics without which far fewer Inspections would have been possible in the time available. The core Inspection Team consisted of Richardson, Downie, Maggs and Rivera. In addition, some Inspections were augmented, on a rotational basis, by Officers from HMS Endurance who had also been designated as Observers through diplomatic channels. The identity of the core Observers involved in particular Inspections is indicated at the end of each report by their initials. 3 The Inspection Team on the flight deck of HMS Endurance with a RN Lynx Helicopter. From left to right: Tom Maggs, Rod Downie, Mike Richardson, Lt Simon Collins, RN, Lt Mark Jameson, RN, Juan Carlos Rivera. The Inspections, undertaken between 10 February and 9 March, consisted of nine permanent (year-round) stations, five summer-only stations, three unoccupied stations, one station under construction, five Historic Sites and Monuments and one tourist vessel. In addition, five further unoccupied stations were overflown by helicopter but not actually visited. This was due to the large numbers of penguins or Fur Seals present in and around the stations concerned - landing a helicopter in the vicinity would have caused unacceptable disturbance to wildlife and would have been in contravention of Annex II to the Environmental Protocol. Stations which were unoccupied at the time of visits are dealt with separately in this Report. In total, the stations or facilities of 13 Consultative Parties and one non-Consultative Party were inspected during this programme. Brief visits were also made to the non-governmental ‘Eco-Nelson’ on Nelson Island, South Shetland Islands, and the Australian-flagged yacht Australis whilst at anchor in Port Lockroy. Comments on these visits are included within this Report. Because of their brief duration and informal nature these visits should not be considered as Inspections. To ensure impartiality, UK-designated Observers did not take part in the Inspections of operational UK stations or Historic Site and Monument No. 61 (‘Base A’, Port Lockroy), nor in the writing of the respective Inspection Reports. UK-designated Observers were however involved in the Inspections of unmanned Historic Sites and Monuments No. 62 (‘Base F’, (Wordie House), Argentine Islands), No. 63 (‘Base Y’ Horseshoe Island) and 4 No. 64 (‘Base E’, Stonington Island). All Inspections were undertaken in accordance with Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty and Article 14 of the Environmental Protocol. In line with Article 14(4) of the Protocol, reports of all Inspections undertaken were forwarded to the Treaty Parties concerned for comment. Where responses from Parties were of a minor drafting nature the proposed changes were incorporated in the relevant report. Responses of a more substantial nature are included within this report at Appendix 1. The report of the Inspection of the tourist vessel was also sent to the respective tourist operator and IAATO as well as the flag-State. 5 Itinerary HMS Endurance departed Mare Harbour, Falkland Islands on 8 February. Thereafter, the dates of Inspections were: Date (2005) Station/facility/vessel Country Status1 10 February Comandante Ferraz Brazil P 11 February Esperanza Argentina P 11 February T/N Ruperto Elichiribehety Uruguay UO 14 February King Sejong Republic of Korea P 15 February Great Wall Peoples Republic of P China 16 February Bellingshausen Russian Federation P ‘Eco-Nelson’ Non-governmental 17 February Capitán Arturo Prat Chile UO Pedro Vicente Maldonado Ecuador UO Risopatron Chile UO 20 February Gabriel de Castilla Spain SO Base Decepción Argentina SO 21 February Juan Carlos I Spain SO St. Kliment Ochridiski Bulgaria SO 25 February Petrel Argentina SO Vice Comodoro Marambio Argentina P 26 February Unnamed Czech Station, Czech Republic UC James Ross Island 27 February MV Professor Molchanov Russian Ferderation V 28 February Yelcho Chile UO Almirante Brown Argentina UO Gabriel Gonzalez Videla Chile UO Base A, Port Lockroy UK HSM 1 March Akademik Vernadsky Ukraine P ‘Base F’ (Wordie House) Winter UK HSM Island 3 March Teniente Luis Carvajal Villaroel Chile UO San Martin Argentina P ‘Base E’, Stonington UK HSM Stonington- East Base USA HSM 4 March ‘Base Y’, Horseshoe Island UK HSM 5 March Rothera Research Station UK P 1Key: P Permanent (year-round) station SO Summer-only station UO Unoccupied station UC Station under construction HSM Historic Site and Monument VVessel 6 7 All Inspections were undertaken using the Inspection Checklists adopted by the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, viz: Checklist “A” for permanent and summer-only stations (agreed in 1994, ATCM XVIII) Checklist “B” for vessels within the Antarctic Treaty Area, and Checklist “C” for abandoned stations and associated installations. These checklists were adopted through Resolution 5 (1995) at ATCM XIX. The checklists were used as an aide-memoire whilst undertaking Inspections rather than as exhaustive questionnaires. However, to ensure that the information collected on each station was recorded in a consistent fashion, a definitive checklist was completed immediately following each Inspection using the notes compiled by each Observer. These completed checklists have been retained for archival purposes. Prior to undertaking any Inspections, the credentials of the designated Observers were shown to the Station Leader (or in the case of the vessel inspected to the Expedition Leader and Master), and copies of such designations were provided. The Inspection Team was based onboard HMS Endurance throughout the duration of the programme, and disembarked at the UK’s Rothera Research Station on 4 March. From there the Team flew back direct to Punta Arenas, Chile on 8 March. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Without exception, the Inspection Team was afforded unlimited access to all facilities of each station and the Team would like to extend its sincere gratitude to the Station Leaders and staff who provided invaluable assistance and very generous hospitality – often at short notice. These Inspections would not have been possible without