AUTARKIC A NEWS BULLETIN published quarterly by the NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY (INC) One of Argentina's oldest Antarctic stations. Almirante Brown, which was destroyed by fire on April 12. Situated in picturesque Paradise Bay on the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, it was manned first in 1951 by an Argentine Navy detachment, and became a scientific Station in 1955. Pnoto by Colin Monteath w_i -f n M#i R Registered at Post Office Headquarters, VOI. IU, IMO. D Wellington. New Zealand, as a magazine June, 1984 • . SOUTH SANDWICH It SOUTH GEORGIA / SOU1H ORKNEY Is ' \ ^^^----. 6 S i g n y l u K , / ' o O r c a d a s a r g SOUTH AMERICA ,/ Boroa jSyowa%JAPAN \ «rf 7 s a 'Molodezhnaya v/' A S O U T H « 4 i \ T \ U S S R s \ ' E N D E R B Y \ ) > * \ f(f SHETLANO | JV, W/DD Hallev Bay^ DRONNING MAUD LAND / S E A u k v ? 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UNITED STATES Of AMERICA USS-H UNION Or SOVIET SOCIAUST Ice Shelf REPUBUCS rnmnsm (successor to 'Antarctic News Bulletin') Vol. 10, No. 6. 114th Issue June, 1984 Editor: J. M. CAFFIN, 35 Chepstow Avenue. Christchurch, 5. Address all contributions, inquiries etc. to the Editor. CONTENTS POLAR ACTIVITIES NEW ZEALAND 198-202 UNITED STATES 205-207 AUSTRALIA 208-214 NORWAY 215 SOVIET UNION 215 UNITED KINGDOM 217-220 ARGENTINE 221 PERU 226 GENERAL POLAR MEDALS 201-202,227 MICROLITES ... 203 TREATY MEMBERS 214 POLE EXPEDITION 216 WHALE SURVEY 222 KISTA DAN 223 TOURISM 224-226 READER WRITES 227 CONSERVATION TROPHY 228-229 OBITUARIES 230-232 ISSN 0003-5327 © New Zealand Antarctic Society (Inc) 1978. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way without the prior permission of the publishers. ANTARCTICA China offered base site in Ross Dependency New Zealand has offered the People's Republic of China a choice of seven sites in the Ross Sea region of the Ross Dependency for the establishment of a permanent research station in Antarctica. The of fer was made through the Minister of Science and Technology (Dr Ian Shearer) when he visited China early in April. He told a New Zealand Press Association correspondent in Hong Kong by telephone from Shanghai that a prerequisite for any final agreement on a permanent base would be Chinese recognition that New Zealand has special rights in the Ross Dependency. When Dr Shearer returned to New One sector of Australia's territorial Zealand he gave general details of the claims is between 142degEand 160deg E. seven sites which ranged from the North In the Western Ross Sea area the sites coast of Northern Victoria Land to the are Inexpressible Island (163deg 30min Eastern Ross Sea. All arc between E/75deg 54min S) in Terra Nova Bay; 160deg E and 150deg W, the limits of the Granite Harbour region (162deg New Zealand's territorial claims in An 44min E/76deg 53min S) in the tarctica. More detailed information now approaches to McMurdo Sound where indicates that the sites were first sug there are also possible sites in the gested, not offered, in July last year to north near Cape Archer and in the assist the Chinese in their long-term south at Cape Roberts; and Marble planning of an Antarctic research pro Point (163deg 50min E/77 26min S) gramme. The People's Republic of on the Victoria Land coast in western China acceded to the Antarctic Treaty in McMurdo Sound. June last year, and intends to seek con sultative status. SMALL AIRSTRIP Three months ago Dr Shearer sug Marble Point is used each summer by gested in a public statement that the the United States and New Zealand as a Chinese Government should consider staging point for research activites in the siting any base it plans to build in dry valleys and beyond to the Polar Antarctica next to Scott Base on Ross Plateau. It has a 914m gravel airstrip Island. He said the idea had been raised now used by helicopters and able to take by the Chinese Ambassador in Well aircraft like the Twin Otter. ington, and he planned to discuss it with There is also a suitable site for a sta Chinese officials during his visit to tion to be built at the Bay of Whales China. (164deg 20min W/78 30min S) which is Of the seven suggested sites three are just north of ice-covered Roosevelt in Northern Victoria Land, three in the Island (162deg W/79deg 25min S). This Western Ross Sea and one in the Eastern area is within the Ross Dependency and Ross Sea. Cape Adare and Duke of gives access to the Ross Ice Shelf. York Island in Robertson Bay (170deg Shackleton named the bay in 1908, 20min E/71deg 30min S) are two of the Amundsen began his journey to the Northern Victoria Land sites. The other South Pole from there in 1911, and for on the northern coast is Yule Bay the last 55 years, beginning with Byrd's (160deg 30min E/7()deg 30min S) which first expedition (1928-30) has been has been used as an anchorage by West regarded as a United States scientific German expeditions in recent seasons. sphere of special interest. June, 1984 ANTARCTICA Dr Shearer said in China that the meetings of SCAR, which co-ordinates offer of sites was based on the assump international Antarctic research, in tion that the Chinese would be servicing Queenstown and Leningrad. their scientists by ship rather than air China also sent observers to last craft, and would want a permanent base year's meeting of the Antarctic Treaty on solid ground rather than the ice shelf. consultative members in Canberra. It is He indicated also that New Zealand would be willing to provide staging expected to send observers to this year's facilities for ships and other logistic sup meeting of SCAR in Bremerhaven, West Germany. port. In return it would be interested in co-operative marine research. In 1980 Mr Thomson expected China to establish a permanent base in six or When Mr Wu Heng, director of the seven years. Since then he has been back Chinese National Antarctic Research to China, and has had discussions with Committee, gave notice in May last year the director of the Chinese National of China's intention to seek Antarctic Antarctic Research Committee. Mr Wu Treaty membership he said that his has visited Wellington and Christchurch, country planned to set up its own and spent some time at Scott Base, research station "when conditions per McMurdo Station, and Vanda Station in mit." After its accession New Zealand the Wright Valley. Now, as a result of provided the information on the seven Dr Shearer's visit, Mr Thomson believes suggested sites in the Ross Dependency. the Chinese are likely in the long term to These suggestions, repeated in the form take up the New Zealand offer of a base of an offer by Dr Shearer, will be con sidered as part of China's long-term site, but such a move is several years away. plans to achieve consultative status as an Antarctic Treaty nation by 1987, but an China's preparations for acceptance early decision is unlikely. as a consultative party to the Antarctic Treaty have included the formation of the national research committee in 1981, LONG-TERM PLANS and sending scientists to the Japanese China has been interested in Antarctic National Institute of Polar Research in affairs since 1977, and since 1979 has 1982 for a course on building and had discussions with Australia and New- running an Antarctic base, and conduct Zealand on scientific and logistic ques ing research projects. In addition more tions. Chinese scientists have worked specialist scientists are being trained, with the Australian and New Zealand and the number of scientists who have research programmes since 1980, and worked in Antarctic since 1980 has risen this winter there are three at two from two to 32. Australian bases, Davis (2) and Casey (1), and a fourth is at an Argentine base. MARINE SCIENCES China has also received support and Mr Thomson's earlier forecast of the co-operation from Japan, Chile, and time it will take for China to establish a Argentina. research programme in Antarctica was New Zealand's active association with reinforced early this month by an China's long-term plans began in 1980 announcement from Peiping that a after Mr R.