Antarctic exploitation worry

Press, 24 March 1977, Page 1

Antarctic exploitation worry

Scientific concern about suggestions that the Government now considers exploitation of Antarctic resources as inevitable surfaced in Christchurch yesterday, the Geological Society taking the lead.

It was disclosed last week that a policy paper presented to the Cabinet said that it would be hopeless to try to “freeze” the

resources of Antarctica now that the pressure on energy resources throughout the world was so great.

The paper also suggested that New Zealand should move as quickly as possible to have strict controls on exploitation written into the Antarctic Treaty.

Government representatives have already begun sounding out the opinions of other signatories to the treaty. Two members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Messrs G. Fortune and C. Keating, are in London at present attending special talks on Antarctic resources. Alarmed at the possible results of commercial exploitation of Antarctica, the Geological Society has written to several Ministers, seeking a clarification of the Government’s attitude. Yesterday, the society issued a statement urging a continued ban on exploitation. “We are by no means convinced that commercial exploitation of

Antarctic resources is inevitable and, in fact, are not aware of any mineral or energy resource that is likely to be economically exploitable now or in the near future,” it said. “We are also concerned that commercial pressures brought about by opening the Antarctic to mineral exploitation, with or without safeguards, will lead to a loss of the present unique international attitude of co-operation and sharing of scientific information. Instead, secrecy and international competition will result, especially in geological studies. “Nearly all New Zealand activities in the Antarctic are carried out in close co-operation with the

United States, with w r hom we share logistics and costs. There is a serious risk that commercial competition for resources could lead to New Zealanders losing their present valuable access to United States logistic support. "Replacement of this support, particularly transport of people and supplies to and within Antarctica, would be far beyond New Zealand’s present capacity and, in particular, "could prevent the geological studies needed for any assessment of the mineral resources of the Ross Dependency. “Finally, it is also our view that exploitation inevitably brings with it pollution, which . is likely to

have serious ecological and environmental effects on the earth’s only remaining uncontaminated land mass.”

Under the existing treaty, Antarctica is set aside as a scientific preserve. Signed in 1959 by 12 nations—Argentina, Australia, Britain, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Russia, and the United States —the treaty does not deal with the commercial development of mineral resources.

Further talks on the subject will be held in London in July before a full meeting of all signatories in September and October.