Final Report of the Thirty-fifth Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting ANTARCTIC TREATY CONSULTATIVE MEETING Final Report of the Thirty-fifth Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting Volume II Hobart, Australia 11 - 23 June 2012 Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty Buenos Aires 2012 Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (35th: 2012: Hobart) Final Report of the Thirty-fifth Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. Hobart, Australia, 11 – 23 June 2012. Buenos Aires: Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty, 2012. XXX p. ISBN 978-987-151-46-2 1. International law – Environmental issues. 2. Antarctic Treaty System. 3. Environmental law – Antarctica. 4. Environmental protection – Antarctica. DDC 341.762 5 Contents VOLUME I Acronyms and Abbreviations PART I FINAL REPORT 1. Final Report 2. CEP XV Report 3. Appendices ATCM XXXV Communiqué Preliminary Agenda for ATCM XXXVI PART II MEASURES, DECISIONS AND RESOLUTIONS 1. Measures Measure 1 (2012) ASPA No 109 (Moe Island, South Orkney Islands): Revised Management Plan Measure 2 (2012) ASPA No 110 (Lynch Island, South Orkney Islands): Revised Management Plan Measure 3 (2012) ASPA No 111 (Southern Powell Island and adjacent islands, South Orkney Islands): Revised Management Plan Measure 4 (2012) ASPA No 112 (Coppermine Peninsula, Robert Island, South Shetland Islands): Revised Management Plan Measure 5 (2012) ASPA No 115 (Lagotellerie Island, Marguerite Bay, Graham Land): Revised Management Plan Measure 6 (2012) ASPA No 129 (Rothera Point, Adelaide Island): Revised Management Plan Measure 7 (2012) ASPA No 133 (Harmony Point, Nelson Island, South Shetland Islands): Revised Management Plan Measure 8 (2012) ASPA No 140 (Parts of Deception Island): Revised Management Plan Measure 9 (2012) ASPA No 172 (Lower Taylor Glacier and Blood Falls,Taylor Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Victoria Land): Management Plan Measure 10 (2012) ASMA No 4 (Deception Island): Revised Management Plan Measure 11 (2012) Antarctic Historic Sites and Monuments: No 4 Pole of Inaccessibility Station building No 7 Ivan Khmara's Stone No 8 Anatoly Shcheglov's Monument No 9 Buromsky Island Cemetery No 10 Soviet Oasis Station Observatory No 11 Vostok Station Tractor No 37 O'Higgins Historic Site 2. Decisions Decision 1 (2012) Measures on Operational Matters designated as no longer current Annex: Measures on Operational Matters designated as no longer current Decision 2 (2012) Secretariat Report, Programme and Budget Annex 1: Audited Financial Report 2010/11 Annex 2: Estimate of Income and Expenditures 2011/2012 Annex 3: Secretariat Programme, Budget for 2012/13 and Forecast Budget for 2013/14 Decision 3 (2012) The Development of a Multi-Year Strategic Work Plan for the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting Annex 1: Principles Decision 4 (2012) Electronic Information Exchange System 3. Resolutions Resolution 1 (2012) Strengthening Support for the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty Resolution 2 (2012) Cooperation on questions related to the exercise of jurisdiction in the Antarctic Treaty area Resolution 3 (2012) Improving Cooperation in Antarctica Resolution 4 (2012) Site Guidelines for visitors Resolution 5 (2012) Barrientos Island – Aitcho Islands Visitor Site Guidelines Resolution 6 (2012) Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions Annex: Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions Resolution 7 (2012) Vessel Safety in the Antarctic Treaty Area Resolution 8 (2012) Improved Coordination of Maritime, Aeronautical and Land-Based Search and Rescue Resolution 9 (2012) The Assessment of Land-Based Expeditionary Activities Annex: Questions to consider as part of the authorisation process for non-Governmental land-based activities in Antarctica Resolution 10 (2012) Yachting Guidelines Annex: Checklist of yacht specific items for preparing safe Antarctic voyages Resolution 11 (2012) Checklist for visitors’ in-field activities Attachment: Checklist for visitors’ in-field activities Picture and picture diagram VOLUME II Acronyms and Abbreviations 9 PART II MEASURES, DECISIONS AND RESOLUTIONS (Cont.) 11 4. Management Plans 13 ASPA No 109 Moe Island 15 ASPA No 110 Lynch Island 27 ASPA No 111 Southern Powell Island and adjacent islands 43 ASPA No 112 Coppermine Peninsula 55 ASPA No 115 Lagotellerie Island 67 ASPA No 129 Rothera Point 81 ASPA No 133 Harmony Point 91 ASPA No 140 Parts of Deception Island 99 ASPA No 172 Lower Taylor Glacier and Blood Falls 125 ASMA No 4 Deception Island 143 PART III OPENING AND CLOSING ADDRESSES AND REPORTS 191 1. Reports by Depositaries and Observers 193 Report of SCAR 195 Report of COMNAP 199 Report of the UK as Depositary Government of CCAS 204 Report of Australia as Depositary Government of CCAMLR 207 Report of Australia as Depositary Government of ACAP 208 Report of the USA as Depositary Government of the Antarctic Treaty and its Protocol 209 Report by the CCAMLR Observer 227 2. Reports by Experts 233 Report of IAATO 235 Report of IHO 239 Report of ASOC 251 PART IV ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS FROM XXXV ATCM 255 1. Additional Documents 257 Abstract of SCAR Lecture 259 2. List of documents 261 Working Papers 263 Information Papers 268 Secretariat Papers 274 Background Papers 276 3. List of Participants 279 Consultative Parties 281 Non Consultative Parties 284 Observers, Experts and Guests 285 Host Country Secretariat 285 Antarctic Treaty Secretariat 285 Acronyms and abbreviations ACAP Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels ASOC Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition ASMA Antarctic Specially Managed Area ASPA Antarctic Specially Protected Area ATS Antarctic Treaty System or Antarctic Treaty Secretariat ATCM Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting ATCP Antarctic Treaty Consultative Party CAML Census of Antarctic Marine Life CCAMLR Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and/or Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources CCAS Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals CEE Comprehensive Environmental Evaluation CEP Committee for Environmental Protection COMNAP Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes EIA Environmental Impact Assessment HCA Hydrographic Committee on Antarctica HSM Historic Site and Monument IAATO International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators ICG Intersessional Contact Group ICSU International Council for Science IEE Initial Environmental Evaluation IHO International Hydrographic Organization IMO International Maritime Organization IOC Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission IP Information Paper IPY International Polar Year IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPY-IPO IPY Programme Office IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources RFMO Regional Fishery Management Organisation SATCM Special Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting SCAR Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research SCALOP Standing Committee for Antarctic Logistics and Operations SC-CAMLR Scientific Committee of CCAMLR SP Secretariat Paper SPA Specially Protected Area UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change WG Working Group WMO World Meteorological Organization WP Working Paper WTO World Tourism Organization PART II Measures, Decisions and Resolutions (Cont.) 4. Management Plans Measure 1 (2012) Annex Management Plan for Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 109 MOE ISLAND, SOUTH ORKNEY ISLANDS Introduction The primary reason for the designation of Moe Island, South Orkney Islands (Latitude 60°44'S, Longitude 045°41'W), as Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) No. 109 is to protect environmental values, and primarily the terrestrial flora and fauna within the Area. The Area was originally designated in Recommendation IV-13 (1966, SPA No. 13) after a proposal by the United Kingdom on the grounds that the Area provided a representative sample of the maritime Antarctic ecosystem, that intensive experimental research on the neighbouring Signy Island might alter its ecosystem and that Moe Island should be specially protected as a control area for future comparison. These grounds are still relevant. Whilst there is no evidence that research activities at Signy Island have significantly altered the ecosystems there, a major change has occurred in the low altitude terrestrial system as a result of the rapidly expanding Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) population. Plant communities on nearby Signy Island have been physically disrupted by trampling by fur seals and nitrogen enrichment from the seals’ excreta has resulted in replacement of bryophytes and lichens by the macro-alga Prasiola crispa. Low-lying lakes have been significantly affected by enriched run-off from the surrounding land. So far Moe Island has only been invaded by fur seals to a limited extent and its topography makes it less likely that seals will penetrate to the more sensitive areas inland. Moe Island has been visited on few occasions and has never been the site of occupation for periods of more than a few hours. Resolution 3 (2008) recommended that the “Environmental Domains Analysis for the Antarctic Continent”, be used as a dynamic model for the identification of Antarctic Specially Protected Areas within the systematic environmental-geographical framework referred to in Article 3(2) of Annex V of the Protocol (see also Morgan et al., 2007). Using this model, ASPA 111 is contained within Environment Domain G (Antarctic Peninsula off-shore islands geologic). The scarcity of Environment Domain G, relative to the other environmental domain areas,