Co-operation needed to help environment

Press, 7 September 1981, Page 4

Co-operation needed to help environment

PA Wellington If nations do not move to control fishing and mineral extraction in Antarctica, international co-opcratiori and the environment there are at real risk, says the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mr Tai boys ). Arrangements were needed now to avoid irreparable damage to the environment and to stop national rivalries replacing co-opera-tion. Mr Taiboys said yesterday. • The Government was tak-

ing steps to ensure that arrangements were; reached and aggressive competition avoided. Mr Taiboys said in a statement. ' The Convention for the Conservation of. Antarctic Marine Living Resources, recently concluded under the umbrella of the Antarctic Treaty, would ensure that living species were not endangered. he said. A recent consultative meeting at Buenos Aires adopted a resolution "committing all participants to

negotiate in good faith to provide arrangements for the orderly exploitation of minerals,' subject to the most stringent environmental controls.” "The need for such controls is a matter of the highest priority for the New Zealand. Government," Mr Taiboys said. The view wasshared by the other countries concerned. Controls needed to be placed on the activities of both governments and commercial enterprises, he said.