The Journal of the New Zealand Antarctic Society Vol 16. No. 3, 1998-99 L'iJuJ 1Ji A1 Scott Base to the Pole and Back The Magazine for Logistics Decision - Makers Educators Local government Transport sector Science ©LIS Outdoors \mw Next Issue Transport Education Options YES, I'd like to subscribe to The Transportant Please enrol me for LJ 6 issues $42 including GST) Name: Title: Organisation:. Address: Type of Business: Phone: ( ). Fax: ( ). E-mail Payment: $_ (Please make cheques payable to Head Consultants Ltd) 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] Internal use: Subscription Maris from Issue Antarctic Contents FORTHCOMING EVENT NEWS Ministerial on Ice at Ross Island Giant Iceberg Born in Antarctica Ancient Antarctic Environments Rocked by Volcanic Eruptions NATIONAL PROGRAMMES New Zealand Australia Iridium Ice Trek member Eric Phillips. Great Britain Canada Volume 1 6, No. 3, 1998-99, FEATURE Issue No. 165 Iridium Ice Trek Long Awaited Journey SCIENCE NOTES Ozone Hole Largest on Record ANTARCTIC is published quarterly by the New Zealand Antarctic Cold Desert in Trans-antarctic Society Inc., ISSN 0003-5327. Study of Southern Ocean Ecosystems Please address all editorial enquiries and contributions to Warren Head, Publisher, 'Antarctic', Humpback Whales in Antarctic P O Box 2369, Christchurch or telephone 03 365 0344, facsimile 03 365 4255, e-mail [email protected]. EDUCATION Antarctic Study Course Starts ANTARCTICA BOOK REVIEW _ J . An Alien in Antarctica With Scott: The Silver Lining TRIBUTES LETTER TO THE EDITOR PEOPLE FORTHCOMING EVENT /\ / / N A N T A R C T I C I P E N I N S U L A Antarctic Marathon: The third Antarctica Marathon and Half Marathon are planned to be run on 13 February, 1999, on a course around King George Island, off the Antarctic Peninsula. Starting point will be the Uruguayan base and the route will take in the Chilean, Chinese and Russian bases. Previous marathons were also held on King George Island in 1995 and 1997. The event is organised by Marathon Tours Inc. of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Marine Expeditions of Toronto are providing the travel arrangements. 'The Seventh Continent' Vol 16 No. 3, 1998-99 Antarctic MlNISTERIAL-ON-ICE at Ross Island ' he aim of a January 1998 visit section of the visit will be from by ministers from Antarctic Monday 25 to Thursday 28 January. Meeting a 40 year - Treaty countries to Antarctica Weather and operational conditions will demonstrate at first hand the may necessitate some adjustment to 'Icebreaker' extraordinary importance of the these dates. New Zealand will host a meeting continent and the success of the The United States and Italian of Antarctic Ministers on the ice Antarctic Treaty System. Antarctic programmes will be continent from 24-28 January In May 1997 the then New Zealand assisting with some of the arrange 1999, says the Associate Minister Prime Minister, Jim Bolger, ments for the visit in the of Foreign Affairs and Trade, announced at the XXIst spirit of international Hon Simon Upton. Antarctic Treaty Consultative partnership that marks The invitation was extended to meeting in Christchurch that the collaboration of the ministers from all twenty-six New Zealand hoped to offer j programmes with the other consultative parties to the this opportunity to visit New Zealand programme Antarctic Treaty. Mr Upton, who Antarctica. on the ice. will host and escort the group, Since then, preparations for Transport to Antarctica says "I hope that ministers from the so-called "ministerial-on- will be in an RNZAF most consultative parties will be ice" have been proceeding. C130 (Hercules) aircraft. able to attend. The ministerial- Space constraints have made Flying time from on-ice will lend direction and it necessary to limit invita Christchurch will be impetus to the Antarctic Treaty tions to a Minister and senior Simon Upton approximately eight System. official from each of the and a half hours. "In forty years there has been twenty-seven consultative parties Transport on the ice will be no ministerial meeting of the (inner or "voting" members of the provided by land transport vehicles of treaty parties. The business has Antarctic Treaty). Invitations were the New Zealand and United States always been handled by officials. formally extended by the Associate programmes. Air transport will be That has worked well up to now. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon provided by helicopters of the New But with new pressures on the Simon Upon, to counterpart ministers Zealand and United States Antarctic treaty and increasing scientific in the 26 other ATCPs in May, and he Programmes. and tourist traffic to the will host the visit. A party of approximately 60 continent, officials are going to The dates of the ministerial-on-ice persons is envisaged. Participants will need political direction and are 24-28 January 1999. Ministers and be allotted accommodation either at encouragement if the Treaty accompanying officials will assemble Scott Base or McMurdo Station. System is to cope with the in Christcluirch in time for briefing For activities on the ice, the party twenty-first century's demands." and kitting out with Antarctic gear on will be divided into smaller groups. While the meeting is designed Sunday 24 January 1999. The ice Continued on page 51 to be a fact-finding one, Mr Upton says he hopes the ice visit will provide some political momentum to the work of officials at future annual consul tative meetings of treaty parties. Future work facing the Treaty Parties includes the agenda of the new Committee for Environmental Protection and the development of a liability annex to the protocol. The ministers will be based at &m Scott Base and McMurdo Station. The visit will put the spotlight "rwW"» ' on the Ross Sea region and New Zealand's role as a leading New Zealand's "Scott Base " at Pram Point, Ross Island, location for top level visit to Antarctica. gateway to the continent. Vol 16 No. 3, 1998- 99 Antarctic NEWS Continued from page 50 The groups will be rotated through activities in the vicinity of Ross Island (where New Zealand's Scott Base and the United States' McMurdo Station are located). For some participants it is hoped that a day-long visit can be arranged to the Italian research station at Terra Nova. The visit and all activities will undergo a prior environmental impact assessment process in accordance with the provisions of the Environmental Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty. The overall aim of the programme on the ice is to give participants an understanding of the global impor tance of Antarctica and of the signifi 'Ivan' the Terra Bus, used to transport travellers from McMurdo and Scott Base to the airfields on the ice shelf. cance of the achievements of the Photograph Courtesy CDRE Ray Citibanks, RNZ Antarctic Treaty System on the eve of the new millennium. The environment — Ministers will management under the Environmental Briefings and presentations at experience the vastness of Antarctica Protocol — environmental impact Christchurch (during pre-visit prepa through visits (including to the Dry assessment, protected area manage rations on Sunday 24 January) and in Valleys and ice edge). Visits to the ment, including historic site manage Antarctica support and supplement Ross Island historic huts and sites (at ment, and visitor management. Topical activities to reflect the three focus Hut Point, Cape Royds and Cape issues for the Treaty System, include areas of the visit: Evans) from which much of the early response to increasing human Peace and security — the visit will exploration of the Antarctic continent impacts through state-of-the-envi- reflect the success of the Antarctic was Lindertaken are in the itinerary. ronment reporting and the protected Treaty over the past forty years. It will Participants will be briefed on the area management system, and also look forward to the new millen practicalities of environmental Antarctic fisheries. nium. The visit will also acknowledge the importance of the XXIIIrd Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, to be hosted by Peru in May 1999. Toothfish Threat Taken Seriously Science — the scientific importance "Unregulated toothfish fishing in convention's ability to deal with and significance of Antarctica will be the Ross Sea this summer is a possi illegal and unregulated fishing emphasised through scientific presen bility that New Zealand is taking throughout the Southern Ocean. tations and field visits. The critical seriously," says New Zealand's We are also looking for other ways f o c u s w i l l b e o n t h e Associate Foreign Affairs Minister of supporting the achievement of climate/biosphere role of Antarctica Simon Upton. the objective of the convention and its surrounding ocean. This will "Toothfish form an important which is the conservation of the include: part of the Ross Sea marine eco marine living resources of the • paleoclimate/global warming/ system. The pressure on toothfish Antarctic. climate change stocks in parts of the Southern "The credibility of CCAMLR is • the Southern Ocean: how Ocean does not appear to be dimin on the line. We are disappointed at Antarctica controls the world's ishing. The Ross Sea could provide the growing evidence that climate (ice formation, bottom a tempting target for poachers as companies and nationals associated water formation); ocean currents; they fish out grounds elsewhere." with countries which are parties to marine resoLirces The Convention for the CCAMLR are behind much of the • geology Conservation of Antarctic Marine toothfish plunder." • biology — including the origins of Living Resources (CCAMLR) has The New Zealand delegation life on earth; marine biology; reported that as much as 130,000 took new proposals to the meeting dependent and associated ecosys tonnes of toothfish worth of the convention in Hobart in tems.