Germans deny allegation over Antarctica

Press, 1 February 1983, Page 16

Germans deny allegation over Antarctica

PA Wellington The German Government has denied allegations by the conservationist, Sir Peter Scott, that it appeared to be violating an agreement not to conduct mineral exploration or extraction in Antarctica before a minerals regime was adopted. Mr H. G. Sulima, the Ambassador and head of the German delegation to the Antarctic Treaty nations’ minerals regime conference in Wellington, said he had to emphasise that these allegations were wholly unfounded and untrue in their entirety. “The activities carried out by German institutions are of a purely scientific nature and in full accordance with both the principles and objectives of the Antarctic Treaty and the subsequent recommendations of the consultative parties," he said. “Neither an exploration nor an extractive activity has ever been undertaken by the Federal Republic of Germany," Mr Sulima said. He said that in full harmony with the other consultative parties to the Antarctic Treaty, Germany was of the opinion that according to consultative meeting recommendation IX-1, no activities going beyond scientific research should be undertaken until a regime on

mineral resources was adopted. Earlier, in a cablegram to the Antarctic Treaty minerals regime meeting in Wellington, Sir Peter, a leading British naturalist and son of the Antarctic explorer. Captain Robert Falcon Scott, urged that the parties consider the great scientific and aesthetic value of the natural ecosystem of the Antarctic and the Southern Ocean as by far the most important factor in deliberations. But he also said in the cablegram he was particularly concerned because four nations — Australia, Japan, France and Germany — were already undertaking oil exploration in the area in apparent violation of the recommendation IX-1. The Antarctic conference s New Zealand chairman, Mr Christopher Beeby, said that under the treaty there was freedom of scientific research in the Antarctic. It provided that results must be made available and exchanged and that there was a commitment of abstention from exploitation. He said this was kept under close scrutiny by the parties. "So far as I am aware there has been no allegation made by one consultative party against another. " Japan and Australia have also denied the allegations.