Antarctic grab not likely — Minister

Press, 28 November 1979, Page 4

Antarctic grab not likely — Minister

Parliamentary reporter Countries were not engaged in a scramble for mineral resources in the Antarctic today, and it was unlikely there would be a grab for resources in 1991. said the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mr Thomson). He was replying to comments by a group of Auckland lawyers, printed in “The Press” of November 24, that New Zealand risked losing its Antarctic control. Mr Thomson said that there appeared to be some misunderstanding about the

| expiration of the Antarctic | Treaty, to which New Zealand is a signatory. “The treaty is indefinite ini duration and there is no reason at the moment to suppose that it will need to be ’reviewed in 1991, or indeed at any time,” he said. , “The Antarctic Treaty i powers have been engaged ' for some j-ears now in the • task of supplementing the: I Antarctic Treaty in order to J jdeal with questions relating! To the conservation of An-i jtarctica and the problems of ! possible resource extraction as and when these problems arise." The first step had been; the adoption in 1964 of a; detailed set of agreed measures for the Conservation of: Antarctic flora and fauna. This had been followed in; 1972 by the adoption of a convention for the con-; servation of Antarctic seals.' More recently, a draft con- ; vention on the conservation | ‘of all Antarctic marine livI ing resources, including fish ‘and krill, had been prepared. ! I Mr Thomson said it was expected that this convention [would be adopted at a con-; ference of treaty signatories, to be held in Canberra next! I year. Considerable discussion' {had been held about mineral resources in Antarctica and the need for a regime to‘ control and regulate extrac-! tion. “The New Zealand post-! tion on mineral resources { was made clear by the Min-{ ister of Foreign Affairs (Mr Taiboys) in September. im-{ mediately before the Antarc-: tic Treaty consultative meet- ‘ ing in. Washington,” said Mr! Thomson.

| “Mr Taiboys recalled that New Zealand had, over the t years, taken the lead in proin oti n g internationallyagreed measures that would regulate and control resource development and ensure the protection and preservation of the Antarctic (environment. "He also pointed out that New Zealand was seeking the urgent conclusion of an regime to govern resource activities. An essential ingredient in the negotiation of such a regime would be an arrangement with those States, including New Zealand, which claim (Sovereign territory in parts of Antarctica regarding their economic rights,” said Mr Thomson. ! New Zealand had played prominent role in these negotiations in the past, and would continue to do so. There was no chance of New Zealand’s interests not being taken into account in the international negotiations relating to these issues. “It is well understood that New Zealand attaches a high importance to these negotiations. For this reason, but .also because of the international standing of out (Scientific programmes in Antarctica and an appreciation of the importance of the Ross Dependency to New i 1 Zealand through its proximity and historical connections, including our claims to sovereignty, we ■have an important role to he said. There had never been any doubt between the British and New Zealand Governments on New Zealand’s rights in the Ross Dependency,” said Mr Thomson.