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AMMcne CM1A13KJOS OLLOaviNV 0NVIV3Z M3N » 31V0S T=l vonoaviNv puti«i M&AOO Antarctic Vol. 13 No. 11 Issue No. 154 September 1995 Contents International COMNAP 430 CCAMLR 431 Seal study 432 ANTARCTIC is published quarterly by the New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc. National programmes ISSN 0003-5327 New Zealand 434 Editor: Greg Williamson* Australia 441 Please address all editorial inquiries. Korea 445 contributions etc to the Russia 444 Editor, P.O. Box 2369 Christchurch. United Kindgom 446 Telephone: (03) 365.0344 United States 450 International: +64 + 3 + 365.0344 Fax: (03) 365.4255 Subantarctic International : +64 + 3 + 365.4255 Heard Island 451 All New Zealand administrative inquiries should go to the National Secretary. General P.O. Box 404, Christchurch. All overseas administrative inquiries should go to the Overseas Branch Secre Medals 452 tary, P.O. Box 2110. Wellington UK AHT 453 New Zealand. Colonel Vaughan 454 Inquiries regarding back issues to DANTE 455 P.O. Box 16385, Christchurch. New Zealand. Obituary: Maurce Conly 458 Cover photograph: Relief for a field party at Vishniac Peak ') No part of this publication may be Photo: Mike Isaac reproduced in any way without the prior per mission of the publishers. "This issue was completed for the Society by Robin Ormerod and Alison Welch pending the apointment of a new editor. ANTARCTIC September 1995 Vol.13 No. 11 COMNAP- brief Fourth meeting of COMNAP held in Santiago COMNAP, the Council of Managers of Regional contingency planning National Antarctic Programmes, met was discussed with a strong focus in Santiago from July 31 to August 4 on planning for possible fuel spills. Representatives of 22 countries at Although a number of nations have tended the meeting, which was chaired completed their own station plan by Dr Anders Karlqvist from the Swed ning there are still some plans to ish Polar Research Secretariat, part of be completed. It was also noted the Royal Swedish Academy of Sci that there are a number of regions ences in Stockholm. where it would be appropriate for The 22 countries represented this operators to work more closely year were: Argentina, Australia, Bel together such as the United States gium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, and New Zealand are in the Ross China, Ecuador, Finland, France, Ger Dependency. many, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, COMNAP's working association New Zealnd, Norway, Peru, Poland, with the ATCM was discussed It Korea, Russia, South Africa, Spain, was felt that there was a need for Sweden, Ukrania, United Kingdom and the relationship to be closer. USA and Uruguay. Representatives The contracting to ICAIR of the also attended from Adventure Network Antarctic Master directory was International, IAATO, the Polus Cen confirmed. tre for Parachute andCO.MNAP/ Environmental monitoring. Two SCALOP. technical workshops have been The meeting discussed a wide planned by COMNAP and SCAR, range of issues of common interest to the first for Oslo in October 1995 managers of Antarctic operations. and the second in Texas in March Among them were: 1996. • Tourism-Contingency planning Air Safety. The Antarctic Flight and safety issues some operators information Manual prepared by had been called upon to help with COMNAP was discussed. SCALOP medical emergencies created in is now being commercially pro the course of tour operations. duced to improve availability and Scheduling of visits to bases was for consistency with other flight also of concern to some opera manuals. tors. There was general agree International scientific/logistics ment from the national operators co-operation - the meeting pro that a common format for report vided opportunity for bilateral/ i n g o n t o u r i s m a c t i v i t i e s b e multilateral discussions on co-op adopted. These issues will now be erative projects such as the Cape addressed through the ATCM. Roberts Project and Dome C re- 430 Vol.13 No. 11 September 1995 ANTARCTIC search opportunity to bring the rest of the COMNAP will meet again in con associated parties up to date. Arrange junction with SCAR in Cambridge in ments are being made for the trans August, 1996. port of the next shipment of materials Members of COMNAP involved in to the region by the Italian supply ves the Operational Management Group sel Italica in January 1996. of the Cape Roberts Project took the CCAMLR - insight Comprehensive Agendas set for CCAMLR standing committee meetings Preliminary agendas have been ing evidence of fishing by some non- drawn up for the CCAMLR Standing member states. The.secretariat wrote Committee on Administration and Fi to the governments of the states con nance and the Standing Committee on cerned and the correspondence will be Observation and Inspection. The full considered by the committee. Any rec meeting is to be held in Hobart from ommendations of the Scientific Com October 10, to 27. The first item on mittee on the inspection system will be the agenda for the Observation and considered. Inspection Committee is the system of Improvements to the system of inspection and compliance with con inspections is the second item on the servation measures during the 1994/ agenda. After looking at the rights of 95 season. The committee will con inspectors the committee will look sider information provided by mem again at the definition of fishing. Last bers on the steps taken to implement year members were invited to send and ensure compliance with the re their comments and suggestions of quired conservation measures. Sum alternative ways of dealing with the maries of inspection reports will be problems. Responses will be dis presented, together with comments on cussed. the Flag States of inspected vessels. Drs I. Everson (UK) and R. Holt In addition to reporting inspections, (USA) have prepared better forms for members must report on the actual reporting inspections and these will be number of inspectors deployed, the submitted for approval. duration of their trips and the areas Last year also the UK proposed covered. All reports of inspections were that new system whereby Flag States transmitted to the Flag States of in would notify the Secretariat if their spected vessels. Flag States will com vessels were entering, existing, or ment on reports of inspections under moving between sub-areas of the Con taken and advise of any actions being vention area. A paper on this subject considered, or which have been taken, will be discussed at this meeting. A in respect of them. The committee will paper, prepared by the Secretariat, on consider activities of non-member the possible configuration of a states in the Convention area follow CCAMLR vessel monitoring system 431 ANTARCTIC September 1995 Vol.13 No.11 based on the use of Inmarsat-C/GPS, populations are on the agenda. will also be discussed. The committee will look at inciden The third item on the agenda will be tal mortality in long line and trawl fish a report on scientific observations eries and marine debris. done in the 1994/95 season and con A report on ecosystems and moni sideration of any recommendations of toring and management will be put the scientific committee which are rel before the committee from a working evant to the Scheme of International group. Scientific Observation Other agenda items include man The CCAMLR standing Committee agement under conditions of uncer on Administration and Finance has, at tainty about stock size and sustain as its first agenda item, administra able yield, scientific research exemp tion. (Relocating the Secretariat from tion and new and exploratory fisher the second to the first floor of the same ies. The CCAMLR scheme of Interna building will be discussed along with tional Scientific Observation will be staffing levels which are not increas discussed along with CCAMLR data ing with the greater volume of admin management. Item 14 on the Agenda istrative work.) Other items include is cooperation with other organisa translation at meetings and the design tions, in particular, reports of observ of the CCAMLR flag. ers from international organisations Audit reports and budgeting infor and reports of CCAMLR representa- mation will be presented and the fore cast budgets for 1996 and 1997 will be tabled. The committee will review the publications distribution policy, the trial New study focussing on period of which expires in 1995; the publication CCAMLR Science, which pack ice seals is in its second year having replaced Selected Scientific Papers for a three- The SCAR Group of Specialists on year trial period. The Scientific Com Seals has developed a programme to mittee budget and forecast budget will study the Antarctic Pack Ice Seals be presented. (APIS). It is expected to extend from The committee will continue nego the 1995-96 season through to the tiations towards a formula to be used 1999-2000 season, with a major logis to calculate members' contributions tic effort envisaged for the 1998-99 Elections will be held for the post of season. chairman and vice chairman. Mr G. de As top predators, seals were likely Villiers (South Africa), chairman, with to be sensitive to changes in the dy Chile as vice-Chairman, is eligible for namics of ecosystems, and in, par re-election to a second two year term. ticular, to variations in the flow of A preliminary agenda has been photosynthetically-fixed carbon to drawn up for the 14th meeting of the higher levels in the food change caused Scientific Committee for the Conser by climatic or ecological change. vation of Antarctic Marine Living Re Pack ice seals are excellent indica sources. Afterthe meeting opens, fish tors of large scale environmental ery status and squid resources will be change and, on a smaller scale, vari- discussed.
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