Antarctic Treaty Inspections Programme Report 2012 Inspections Programme Treaty Antarctic Antarctic Treaty Inspections Programme Report 2012 Report of Antarctic Treaty Inspections undertaken jointly by the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Spain in accordance with Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty and Article 14 of the Environmental Protocol United Kingdom Foreign & Commonwealth Office Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research Spanish Polar Committee Antarctic Treaty Inspections Programme Report 2012 Report of Antarctic Treaty Inspections undertaken jointly by the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands in accordance with Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty and Article 14 of the Environmental Protocol April 2013 © Crown copyright 2013 Printed in the United Kingdom for The Stationery Office P002548041 C1 05/13 Contents Introduction .......................................................................5 Acknowledgments .............................................................7 Itinerary ..............................................................................8 Map of the inspected bases, stations, sites and vessels ...9 General conclusions and recommendations .................10 Best practice .....................................................................16 Bases and stations ...........................................................19 Comandante Ferraz Station (Brazil) ............................................................... 20 Arctowski (Poland) ....................................................................................... 23 Presidente Eduardo Frei (Chile) ..................................................................... 28 Great Wall (China) ........................................................................................ 37 King Sejong (Republic Of Korea) .................................................................. 42 Bellingshausen (Russia) ................................................................................. 48 Carlini (Argentina) ........................................................................................ 54 Artigas (Uruguay) ......................................................................................... 60 Palmer (United States) .................................................................................. 65 Gabriel González Videla (Chile) .................................................................... 74 Esperanza (Argentina) .................................................................................. 79 Arturo Prat (Chile) ........................................................................................ 86 Unoccupied installations and bases ...............................93 Eco-Nelson (Czech Republic) ........................................................................ 94 Refugio Meteorologia Cruls (Brazil) .............................................................. 95 Elichiribehety (Uruguay) ............................................................................... 96 3 Antarctic Treaty Inspections Programme Report 2012 Historic sites and monuments ........................................99 Whalers Bay ............................................................................................... 100 Port Lockroy .............................................................................................. 103 Waterboat Point ........................................................................................ 108 Vessels ............................................................................ 111 MV Ocean Diamond (Bahamas) ..................................................................112 MV Plancius (Netherlands)...........................................................................116 MV Silver Explorer (Bahamas) .....................................................................119 MV Corinthian II (Marshall Islands) ............................................................. 122 SY Paradise (France) ...................................................................................125 Bahia Paraiso (wreck of Argentine-flagged vessel) .......................................127 Annex .............................................................................128 4 Introduction Introduction Inspections were conducted jointly in December 2012 by the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom in the Antarctic Peninsula region. The inspections were undertaken by Observers designated by their respective governments in accordance with the notification procedures under Article VII (1) of the Antarctic Treaty. Lead Observers so designated were: The logistic platform for the Inspection Programme was provided by the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy For the Netherlands: Ice Patrol Vessel HMS Protector. > Mr Dick van der Kroef, Netherlands Organisation The core inspection team consisted of Dick Van der for Scientific Research, Amsterdam Kroef, Manolo Catalan, Colin Roberts and John Shears. The core team was augmented as For Spain: necessary by the following officers and specialists from HMS Protector who were also designated as > Admiral Manolo Catalan, Technical Secretary, United Kingdom Observers in accordance with Spanish Polar Committee, Madrid the notification procedures of Article VII (1) of the Treaty: For the United Kingdom > Commander Don Mackinnon – Royal Navy > Mr Colin Roberts CVO, Director, Foreign and > Lieutenant Commander Tom Boeckx – Royal Navy Commonwealth Office, London > Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Martin Scutt – > Dr John Shears, Director of Operations, British Royal Navy Antarctic Survey, Cambridge > Petty Officer Robert Stamp – Royal Navy 5 Antarctic Treaty Inspections Programme Report 2012 > Leading Photographer Aaron Hoare – Royal Navy All inspections were undertaken in accordance with Article VII of the Treaty and Article 14 of the The inspections, undertaken between 1 and 14 Environmental Protocol. December 2012, covered 12 permanent bases, 3 unoccupied bases, 3 historic sites, 4 cruise ships, In line with Article 14(4) of the Environmental 1 yacht and 1 wreck site. The inspection of the Protocol, reports of all inspections undertaken wreck of the Bahia Paraiso was carried out by were forwarded to the relevant Treaty Parties for Royal Navy divers who filmed the inspection and comment. Where responses from Parties were of a briefed the team immediately afterwards using the minor drafting nature or technical correction, the video footage. proposed changes have been incorporated in the relevant report. Responses of a more general or Exceptionally heavy snowfall in the Peninsula substantive nature are included within this report region in the austral winter of 2012 had left most at the Appendix. The reports of inspections of of the bases inspected still under substantial tourist vessels were also sent to the relevant tour accumulations of snow. This meant that some operators. Some minor factual corrections were aspects of infrastructure and terrain could not received, and these have also been incorporated be examined. into the reports. To ensure impartiality the inspection of the British base at Port Lockroy was led by Mr van der Kroef and the report on that inspection drafted by Mr van der Kroef and Adm. Catalan. 6 Acknowledgements Acknowledgments The inspection team was afforded unlimited access The team would also like to record its gratitude to to all facilities of each station and vessel visited and the officers and crew of HMS Protector under the the team would like to record its sincere gratitude command of the Executive Officer Cmdr Don to the Station Leaders and staff, and vessel McKinnon, without whose skill and professionalism captains and crew, who provided invaluable the team would not have been able safely to assistance and generous hospitality. undertake so many inspections, all of which required the support of multiple small boat operations. The team acknowledge with gratitude the efforts of those who provided photographic support for the inspections. All photographs included in this report were taken by Leading Photographer Aaron Hoare with the exception of those on Nelson Island, taken by Lieutenant Commander Tom Boeckx, and the photograph of the wreck of the Bahia Paraiso which was taken from a video filmed by the Royal Navy diving team. 7 Antarctic Treaty Inspections Programme Report 2012 Itinerary The dates of the Inspections were: 1 December Comandante Ferraz Arctowski 2 December Presidente Eduardo Frei, Marsh Airfield, Fildes Naval Station 3 December Great Wall King Sejong 4 December Bellingshausen Carlini 5 December Artigas Eco-Nelson Refugio Meteorologia Cruls 6 December Deception Island: Whalers Bay MV Ocean Diamond MV Plancius MV Silver Explorer 8 December Port Lockroy 9 December Palmer Bahia Paraiso Wreck SY Paradise 10 December Lemaire Channel: MV Corinthian II 11 December Gabriel González Videla Waterboat Point 13 December Esperanza Elichiribehety 14 December Arturo Prat 8 Map of the inspected bases, stations, sites and vessels Map of the inspected bases, stations, sites and vessels 9 8209 Antarctica Report v0_7.indd 9 17/04/2013 16:49 Antarctic Treaty Inspections Programme Report 2012 General conclusions and recommendations Inspections small boat operations). In most cases training was All the bases and vessels inspected by the British, focussed on permanent staff, especially Spanish and Dutch 2012 inspection team were overwintering staff. The inspectors found some welcoming and cooperative. The bases inspected good examples