AMBUCIK The Journal of the New Zealand Antarctic Society Vol 16. No. 2, 1998 [ A conversation bbvuhh scarr Arte ill ■ A n t a r c t i c W o r k s h o p ■ Solo at Cape Adare ■ Latest programme news ■ ' C a t s o n I c e ' The Magazine for Logistic Decision - Maker Educators Local government Transport sector Science Outdoors ®W Next Issue Transport Education Options YES, I'd like to subscribe to The Transportant Please enrol me for LJ 6 issues $42 including GST) Organisation:. Address: Type of Business: Phone: ( ) Fax:( ) E-mail: Payment: $_ (Please make cheques payable to Head Consultants Lid) Signature: Your Reference: Please commence my subscription and bill me annually until countermanded in writing. Please post or fax coupon to: Head Consultants Ltd, P.O. Box 2369, Phone: 03 365 0344, Fax: 03 365 4255, E-mail: [email protected] L^ Antarctic 132I323SE2 Contents FORTHCOMING EVENTS LEAD STORY Antarctic Future Workshop FEATURE Feline Pioneers on Ice by Baden Norris NEWS Cover Illustration: Courtesy of Nigel Brown, Acrylic on Canvas EDUCATION 1998. "A Conversation between Scott and Hillary concerning Journeys in Antarctica" from his collection of works painted as NATIONAL PROGRAMMES one of Antarctica New Zealand's first recipient of the 'Artists to New Zealand 'Antarctic' award. United States Volume 16, No. 2, 1998, Bulgaria Issue No. 164 FEATURES TAE Hut by David Harrowfield ANTARCTIC is published quarterly by the New Zealand Antarctic International Flavour at Bratina Is. Oasis Society Inc., ISSN 0003-5327. Please address all editorial inquiries and contributions to by Rob Smith, NIWA Antarctic Journal, P O Box 404, Christchurch or TRIBUTE telephone 03 365 0344, facsimile 03 365 4255, Mike Prebble e-mail [email protected]. OPINION Antarctica - A Continent for Science or Management ANTARCTICA by Margaret Bradshaw FEATURE Riddle of the Antarctic Peninsula Swedish Trail Part III by D Yelverton BOOK REVIEW That First Antarctic Winter reviewed by Colin Monteath Forty Years on Ice reviewed by Arnold Heine m LETTERS TO THE EDITOR GENERAL &«_ :' Hillary Video Series Promotion FORTHCOMING EVENTS 25 - 31 October 1998 - A Geological and Mineralogical Approach to Environmental Protection' at the Certosa di Pontignano in Siena, Italy. The course is organised by the International School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Universita' di Siena, Italy. 5-9 July 1999 - Eighth International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences, Wellington. Vol 16 No. 2, 1998 Antarctic LEAD STORY Treaty offers best protection for Antarctica and NZ antarctic futures workshop the Antarctic Treaty has provided the best protec Despite t iits o n imperfections,f o r t h e f r o z e n continent and New Zealand's interests, says the deputy secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Don MacKay talking at the Antarctic Futures Workshop. However, the treaty parties faced major difficulties in managing Antarctica, he said. Endorsed by 43 countries the treaty established that A working session of the Antarctic Future's Workshop held in Christchurch, New Zealand. the continent be used for peaceful purposes, making it non-militarised environment, was not working well. would be adversely affected. and non-nuclearised. Also all claims "CCAMLR is proving to be not as International figures suggested to sovereignty were "frozen", he said. effective as we would like it to be. $124 billion was spent last year to The success of the treaty was But if we didn't have CCAMLR the catch $70 billion worth of fish. shown in the ease with which situation would be even worse." "Fishing fleets could be reduced by countries had acceded to the treaty, Stan Crothers, deputy chief half to catch the same amount of and the growing acceptance of the executive of the Ministry of fish." Throughout the world, system of governance which it Fisheries, said that investment in fisheries were in crisis as global applies, uniquely, to a whole research would help develop ways to warming and climate change continent. "No other regime would contributed to sea change, pollution have provided the same level of threatened habitats and overfishing protection for Antarctica and for occurred. Eighty percent of fish New Zealand's interests," he said. stocks worldwide were being The issue of sovereignty had exploited at or beyond sustainable separated countries into two distinct levels, Mr Crothers said. groups: about seven nations, Countries were becoming more including New Zealand, claim sover aware of their limitations in eignty of parts of Antarctica, while managing fisheries alone and multi many others do not recognise such national decision-making was claims. "Sovereignty cuts to the core common. However, they needed to of the treaty through article 4 which clearly define their aims, rights and puts the issue of hold," he said. responsibilities in managing The overfishing of toothfish in the fisheries." southern oceans was one of the While there were other interna greatest challenges as there were no tional agreements covering activities The Antarctic Treaty has growing acceptance in Antarctica, the protocol banning regulations governing the area, Mr — Don MacKay. MacKay said. This was because the mining there until 2048 demon legal status of Antarctica has not manage the fishery better. Previous strated the consensus style of been resolved and it was "not research resulted in sonar and management that had worked, Mr governed by an instrument that has satellite technology to keep track of MacKay said. "It was the first time been negotiated among the world's ships and the amount of fish they countries had worked together to nations," he said. The Commission caught. Governments should look at protect the whole environment of a for the Conservation of Antarctic reducing subsidies, but reductions continent. Marine Living Resources would not happen quickly as "I regard it as a landmark achieve (CCAMLR), designed to protect the communities who relied on fishing ment for the treaty process and of 26 Vol 16 No. 2, 1998 Antarctic LEAD STORY great significance to New Zealand both strategically, geographically Looking for an Icy Resolution and environmentally." Criticisms of the treaty had focused on its scope, Extracts from an article by Roger its lack of management of tourism Dennis, National Business Review and the issue of liability. Although the parties had undertaken to wned by no single develop procedures for liability for national, but adminis damage caused by activities in tered by many, the Antarctica, it was not easy. future of Antarctica — and "The whole issue is fraught. It is New Zealand's role in that extremely difficult to get to grips future — was under examina with in an Antarctic Treaty tion at the Antarctic Futures context," Mr MacKay said. "We are Workshop, organised by still a long way from reaching Antarctica New Zealand at the consensus as some fundamental Christchurch Convention differences have appeared (during Centre during April 1998. negotiations)." Differing views on where the On the subject of tourism, Anne future of Antarctica lies were Kershaw, director of Canadian- expressed to 130 participants based Adventure Network including scientists, policy International, told delegates at the makers, the conservationist ANTARCTIC Workshop that growing numbers of lobby and tourism operators. tourists in Antarctica have prompted While the debate continues, FUTURES scientific bases to clean up their acts. companies with potential WORKSHOP "Cruise ships and commercial commercial interests are flights arriving in Antarctica cause moving to position themselves countries with bases to look at what to take advantage of the natural An usage strategy may be appropriate for Antarctica — David Lange. they were doing to the environ wealth of Antarctica. ment," she said. "When cameras and Meanwhile, pirate harvesting videos started being taken there, of Antarctic fish stocks continues ments and may be the best way people would return from trips and despite the Antarctic Treaty System. forward for Antarctica. He said New ask "what's all this rubbish?" It was argued by James Hall of Zealand's anti-nuclear movement The sight of an impeccably clean Saatchi & Saatchi that the image of showed how public opinion could base is also a worry, she said, for Antarctica needed recasting and that change dramatically; "it turned from what is being done with the rubbish commercial interests and scientific being a movement of heretics, if a supply vessel only visited once a endeavours can co-exist in unorthodox ratbag sort of people, year to remove it? Antarctica given the right condi disliked by most, into a popular Adventure Network International tions. Accordingly, by pushing the anti-nuclear campaign." have been taking paying passengers right image of Antarctica back into He said public opinion in favour to Antarctica on sightseeing tours the public focus, companies would of the anti-nuclear stance was since 1985. All rubbish taken into be forced to avoid environmental cemented in place by the actions of Antarctica is removed at the end of a shortcuts for the sake of profit. overseas countries. He said the only trip, including human waste, which Heightened public perception people able to afford to exploit the is disposed of in Chile, a six-hour would encourage companies to Antarctic would be "big ugly people flight away. sponsor or aid Antarctic research. — the huge consortiums because "Even if some parties could not Hall says that the use of "cause they are the ones with access to remove their rubbish, they have to related marketing" is growing, and capital. No one loves a huge corpo bury it, mark the location and the organisations that are involved in ration, it doesn't matter how hard next available plane would find the the preservation of Antarctica they try. They will be easily politi rubbish, dig it up and remove it," she should exploit this.