
ANTARCTIC NON-GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY NEWS
Brief news items on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic
non-government expedition activities.
Tourism Industry |
ANAN 46
News as at Wednesday, 9 May 2001 @ 0600 UTC.
News in this edition:
46-01. ITLOS Decision 'Landmark' In Fisheries Management Efforts.
46-02. Claim, Counter-Claim, In N.Z. Tourism Row.
46-03. Safety Concerns Given For Cape Evans Refusal.
46-04. Arrested Fishing Boat Returns Under Escort.
46-05. Further Shackleton Crossings Completed.
46-06. Fleet Completes Fourteenth 'Whale Research' Season.
46-07. IAATO Sets New Meeting Dates.
46-08. Book On Cape Denison Winter Released.
46-09. Coming Events Relevant to Non-Government Activities.
IN READING PLEASE NOTE: This newsletter is produced in the interest of improved information sharing in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic community. Inclusion of information in it should not be taken to imply endorsement, by the publishers of ANAN News, of any company, program or associated activity that is listed, nor that the activity has necessarily completed all environmental impact assessments required under the legislation of the 'home' nation concerned.
The decision of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on 20 April that flag States must ensure they exercise appropriate jurisdiction over vessels on their register is considered by some observers as a landmark result in efforts to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing in waters around Antarctica. The decision came as yet another fishing vessel was being returned under escort to an Australian port to face charges of fishing illegally in sub-Antarctic waters (see ANAN-46/04 following).
ITLOS made its ruling after hearing a complaint by the central American nation of Belize that the 'Grand Prince', a fishing vessel on its marine register, had under the United Nations Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Convention been "inappropiately" detained by France following its arrest on 26 December for allegedly fishing illegally in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) around sub-Antarctic Iles Kerguelen.
'Grand Prince' had left Durban, South Africa, early last December with the aim of catching Patagonian toothfish and, on an experimental basis, lobster, in what were described by Belize as "international waters of the Southern Ocean".
Belize presented evidence and it had instructed that the vessel "not to engage in illegal fishing and [that it must] comply with all fishing requirements and regulations applicable in the area fished". No monitoring arrangements were put in place, however, to ensure 'Grand Prince' complied with Belize's requirement. Options available included the placement of an accredited Observer on the fishing boat or use of a vessel monitoring system to keep track of its position by satellite.
Management of toothfish stocks in sub-Antarctic and Antarctic waters is being significantly undermined by boats that conduct IUU fishing operations in the area managed under the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), or, in contravention of conservation measures agreed to by CCAMLR. A key focus of IUU activities in recent years has been the sub-Antarctic islands of Kerguelen and Crozet (France), Heard (Australia), Prince Edward (South Africa), and nearby areas, Patagonian toothfish being the prime target.
Following its arrest last December, 'Grand Prince' was taken to the island of Reunion under naval escort where a court later confirmed the seizure of the vessel, its catch of Patagonian toothfish and lobster, and on board equipment. The vessel remained in port at Reunion pending the outcome of the case that France has made against it.
After the initial hearings in Reunion a bond of $US1.5M was fixed for Grand Prince's release. While high, the figure is in effect the only fine likely to be paid should its owners fail to show up for formal hearings of the charges laid against them. ANAN understands that despite the time that has elapsed since the apprehension of the 'Grand Prince' its owners have not yet been formally identified. France has encountered such problems with most of the twenty vessels it has apprehended in its sub-Antarctic waters since the mid-1990s, and sees the setting of large bonds as one of the few real deterrents it has to protect its fisheries.
Belize took its case to ITLOS in late March and may have been confident of the outcome given that over the past eighteen months the Tribunal has significantly reduced the size of the bonds requested by France for the release of two other boats suspected of fishing illegally in waters around its sub-Antarctic islands.
The first was in February last year when the Panamanian registered vessel 'Camouco', which was arrested in the EEZ around the Crozet Islands in September 1999, was released on a bond of $US1.2M, less than half the amount originally set by the French; while in mid-December the south-east Indian Ocean nation of Seychelles succeeded in having the bond for the 'Monte Confurco', arrested in the Kerguelen EEZ on 8 November 2000, reduced from $US7.3M to $US2.3M. Those and other vessels arrested by both France and Australia in the past (see ANAN-46/04 following) are reputed to have returned to the CCAMLR region to conduct IUU fishing operations following their release.
'Grand Prince' is understood to have a long history of fishing operations in sub-Antarctic waters. The environment group Greenpeace's vessel 'Arctic Sunrise' reported that it sighted the 'Grand Prince' in the Kerguelen EEZ in March last year (ANAN-18/07, 29 March 2000), and it and the 'Camouco', which had been renamed 'Arvisa 1' shortly after it was released from detention earlier in the year, were operating in Kerguelen waters last October when the long liner 'Amur' sank with the loss of fourteen lives.
The two craft are believed to have rescued twenty-six survivors from the 'Amur' and retrieved eight bodies, however they left the scene before French Naval vessels could reach the area to assist (ANAN-33/01, 25 October 2000). Those rescued were eventually landed on the island of Mauritius nearly three weeks later by the vessel 'Lena' after having been transferred at least twice at sea to other vessels operating in the region (ANAN-35/03, 22 November 2000).
The full text of ITLOS's judgements on the 'Grand Prince', 'Camouco', and 'Monte Confurco' cases and related press releases are available on the ITLOS web site at: http://www.un.org/depts/los.
[ANAN-46/01]
Tour operator Heritage Expeditions blames what it called the "negative attitude [of] many New Zealand policymakers and managers of tourism [in Antarctica]" for the decision of a N.Z. government representative on its ship 'Akademic Shokalskiy' not to accompany a tour group ashore at Cape Evans, Ross Island, on 13 February, and that this refusal led to a planned second visit there that day being cancelled. N.Z. officials have strenuously rejected the company's comments, however, stressing that its representative's decision was based on "serious concerns about safety" and nothing more (see ANAN-46/03 following).
Events at Cape Evans first entered the public domain when Heritage Expeditions issued a press release in New Zealand late in February and since then the matter has received wide publicity in Australasia. Heritage's strongly worded release gives little actual detail of the Cape Evans incident, concentrating instead on wider issues.
Apart from its criticism of policy makers the release claims that the passengers involved were "furious" at not being able to visit Cape Evans, complains in general about the way access to historic huts in the Ross Sea region is managed, and stated that the company will "seek compensation" from the New Zealand government.
On the day of the incident Heritage was conducting ship-shore operations between the 'Akademic Shokalskiy' and Cape Evans, the location of U.K. explorer Robert Falcon Scott's historic hut. As fast ice was still present in the area, the company's two All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and sled combinations, which were used for the first time last austral summer, were to transport tourists on the ship the eight kilometres between ship and shore. Because of their capacity and the number of tourists on board 'Shokalskiy' (ANAN-17/04, 15 March 2000), two separate journeys ashore were planned and it was the second trip that was eventually cancelled.
Christchurch-based Heritage Expeditions has been conducting tourist voyages to the Ross Sea region since 1994. While its vessel 'Akademic Shokalskiy' is ice strengthened it is not an ice breaker, and the fast ice that often extends off-shore in the Ross Island region well into summer therefore presents a challenge; limiting access to places such as Capes Evans and Royds where historic huts are located, as well as the U.S. and New Zealand national program stations in McMurdo Sound.
During the company's first six seasons of operations in the Ross Sea visits to those locations were limited by fast ice on a number of occasions, the distance involved being too far for passengers to walk to and from shore. As a result of those difficulties Heritage purchased two eight-wheeled, light 'footprint', plastic bodied, Canadian-built 'Argo' ATVs in 1999, and had sleds specially made in New Zealand, so that it could transport its clients to and from shore more effectively when ice conditions were suitable (ANAN-17/04, 15 March 2000).
The company successfully used its ATV-sled combinations to conduct over-ice visits to Cape Evans and Royds for the first time in mid-January and in addition retrieved two Norwegian skiers who had just completed a trans-Antarctic crossing from Hut Point (ANAN-41/03, 14 February 2001). Heritage said at the time that the ATVs would increase the scope of its operations in the south-west Ross Sea region (ANAN-41/14, 14 February 2001).
Heritage's late February press release said that the "Argo vehicles were used very successfully this year, covering some 200 km of sea ice on numerous occasions". It went on to say that on the day of the incident a successful crossing of the ice to Cape Evans had been made with half the party" when the "government representative refused to accompany the [second] group". The company's statement goes on to claim that "weather and ice conditions at the time were better than they had been on previous [over-ice] excursions".
A spokesperson for MFAT told ANAN last week that it has declined the compensation claim from Heritage on the basis that "the National Representative carried out his functions appropriately in the circumstances and there has been no action which could be viewed as a breach of duty between the Ministry and Heritage Expedition Ltd."
[ANAN-46/02]
Concerns about safety have been given as the key reason a New Zealand government representative on the tour ship 'Akademic Shokalskiy' refused to accompany a group of tourists on a visit to Cape Evans on 13 February, although considerable claim and counter-claim on the issues involved have been aired in N.Z. (see ANAN-46/02 preceding). The matter was compounded by confusion over whether or not the company was permitted to visit the historic hut without the representative being present.
The N.Z. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said in a statement issued in response to Heritage Expeditions' late-February press release that its representative had taken part in the first visit made from 'Shokalskiy' to Cape Evans and back on 13 February, but that he had declined to participate in the second journey planned that day due to "serious safety concerns".
ANAN understands that the MFAT observer's concerns centred on the general nature of the over-ice operation, actual sea ice conditions then prevailing, the length of time needed for the return journey, and the lack of back-up if sea ice or general weather conditions deterioriated during the second journey to or from shore; the latter being of particular concern. MFAT says that the person concerned has specialised experience of field operations in the Ross Island area as he has spent time there both over winter and during a number of summer seasons.
Reports received by ANAN from a number of those who took part in the 13 February Cape Evans visit indicate that as was the case when the first successful ATV-sled over ice visit was made there in mid-January, fast ice conditions prevented 'Shokalskiy' from getting within eight to nine kilometres of shore; although in a 'normal' Antarctic summer cycle the fast ice is unlikely to have been as robust at the end of summer in mid-February as it is likely to have been in mid-January.
It is understood that in the lead up to passenger ship-shore operations, Heritage Expeditions staff conducted a reconnaissance of the first part of the route between ship and shore early on the 13th, and decided that it was safe to proceed with a landing attempt, however, no information is available about what the ice thickness was along the proposed route.
Due to the capacity of the two ATV-sled combinations it was not possible to take all of the company's clients to shore in one sortie. As a result twenty-five passengers, six staff members and the government representative left the ship for Cape Evans around mid-morning; the remaining passengers staying on board, the plan being to provide them with the opportunity to visit the Cape on a second ATV-sled sortie later in the day.
After travelling 6-7 kilometres in just over half an hour, a 15-20 m wide tongue of open water was encountered, and one of the 'Naiad' boats was unloaded from its sleds and used to transport first the people, and then its ATV and sled, to the landward side of lead; the other ATV-sled combination being left on the ship-side of the lead. Alumium ladders were used to run the vehicle and sleds from the ice on to the boat and off again at the other side of the lead. It is not known if anyone stayed with the vehicle and sled that was left behind.
Once across the small lead most of the people in the group walked towards the shore, the single ATV-sled combination following as soon as it crossed the lead. After travelling a further kilometre another, wider, stretch of open water which lay adjacent to the shore of Cape Evans was met; the over-water distance involved being estimated by a number of people as being in the order of 600-800 m. Given this the boat was unloaded from its sled again and personnel were transported ashore in it, the ATV and sled being left unattended on the fast ice while the shore visit was made.
It appears to have taken just over an hour for the group to travel the eight to nine kilometres from ship to shore, which considering the factors involved, was a good time. Heritage Expeditions principle and voyage Expedition Leader Rodney Russ said earlier this year that the ATV-sled combinations normally travel at around fifteen kilometres per hour.
Just under two hours were spent at the historic Cape Evans hut before the party returned to 'Shokalskiy' in a reversal of the outward journey's operation. The group reached 'Shokalskiy' safely in mid-afternoon about an hour after they had left land and four hours after they had departed. It was at this stage that the N.Z. government representative advised the tour company of concerns about making a second journey ashore.
By the time the group left the hut some present say the wind had risen to around fifteen knots and reports indicate that a few of the passengers were "particularly cold" on their arrival back at the ship. Difficulties are believed to have been experienced on the return journey, reports from several people suggesting indicating that the edges of the fast ice tended to break away as vehicle loading and unloading operations occured at the edge of water areas.
Heritage principle Rodney Russ strongly denies such claims, however, telling ANAN that he believes the operation was "perfectly safe", that client safety was always the prime consideration for his company, and that "more than adequate" safety equipment was available to cover any eventuality. Russ was particulary critical that those people who provided information to ANAN did so on the basis that their identities not be revealed.
The N.Z. governmen representative, Grant Avery, subsequently spoke publicly about the incident during a presentation on Antarctic tourism to a N.Z. Antarctic Society meeting held in Wellington on 26 April.
[ANAN-46/03]
The suspected pirate fishing vessel 'South Tomi', which was arrested nearly 400 km south of Cape Town, South Africa by a military boarding party on 12 April after a two-week pursuit, arrived in Fremantle, Australia on 5 May after a five week operation which involved ships and personnel from two nations (ANAN-45/01, 25 April 2001).
The Togo registered vessel, which was escorted into port by the Australian fisheries chartered vessel 'Southern Supporter', was allegedly found fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone around sub-Antarctic Heard Island on 29 March and had ninety tonnes of Patagonian toothfish on board worth close to $US750,000.
Soon after its arrival in Fremantle, Australian authorities commenced discussions in the lead up to what is expected to be the laying of formal charges of fisheries violations against the vessel and its as yet unknown owners. Reports indicate that the forty-four man crew will be held on board the fifty metre vessel in Fremantle until discussions on the charges have been finalised, after which they are likely to be repatriated to their nation of origin.
'South Tomi' was the fourth vessel to have been arrested and escorted to Fremantle after allegedly being found fishing in the Heard Island EEZ since October 1997 when the Panamanian registered 'Aliza Glacial' and Belize registered 'Salvora' were apprehended. A third vessel, the Seychelles flagged 'Big Star' was arrested in February 1998. In addition the Falkland Islands flagged vessel 'Mila' was arrested on its arrival in Stanley last October and was later heavily fined after it had been seen fishing illegally in the Heard Island EEZ by the licensed fish vessel 'Austral Leader' (ANAN-43/03, 28 February 2001).
[ANAN-46/04]
Two parties undertook successful crossings of South Georgia along the route of Sir Ernest Shackleton's historic 1916 route in March, bringing to thirty-nine the number of people who have successfully completed the journey in five separate adventure or commercial groups over the past year (ANAN-36/05, 6 December 2000).
Five members of the 'Shackleton Memorial Expedition 2001' (SME) crossed from King Haakon Bay to Stromness over three days from 6-10 March, while eight members of a commercial group organised by Australian tour operator Aurora Expeditions completed the journey from 10-12 March. In addition several other groups who attempted or planned to attempt the crossing during the 2000-01 austral summer however they were thwarted by weather and other factors (ANAN-41/07, 14 February 2001).
SME personnel travelled to South Georgia on a regular tourist voyage conducted by U.S. tour company Quark on their chartered vessel 'Kapitan Dranitsyn'. The ship travelled to the island via the Antarctic Peninsula and whilst in that region expedition members sailed their replica of Shackleton's boat 'James Caird' on day trips, first near Petermann Island and then making what was a difficult landing on Elephant Island itself. The expedition's original plans had been to sail the craft from Elephant Island to South Georgia however the boat's condition precluded the attempt (ANAN-39/11, 17 January 2001).
On arrival at South Georgia bad weather prevented 'Dranitsyn' visiting King Haakon Bay for deployment of the crossing party and the proposed sail of the replica in the Bay was also cancelled. The climbing party was eventually deployed near the head of Possession Bay on the northern coast on 6 March and they spent the morning of that day trekking up to and across Shackleton Gap to King Haakon Bay.
From there they commenced their planned traverse, spending much of the first afternoon climbing up on to the Murray Snowfield in driving snow and very limited visibility, encountering numerous crevasses on the way. They arrived at their first night's camp at the base of Trident Ridge some 500 m above sea level just before darkness in blizzard conditions, and overnight experienced very strong winds, thirty centimetres of snow and "some anxiety" about falling rocks or avalanches onto their campsite.
Poor conditions continued the following morning as the five continued up the ridge in a white-out with snow up to their knees. The clouds and mist slowly cleared after they reached the top however, and following the descent from there they zig-zagged through the maze of crevasses on the Crean Glacier before camping after travelling for ten hours.
On 8 March, the third day on the route, more snow and poor visibility was experienced, and the day was spent travelling up and over the Fortuna Glacier on a compass bearing towards Break Wind Ridge, that night's camp being made at an elevation around 500 m above Fortuna Bay. The last day of their trek brought fine weather, the party wading through thigh deep snow to the bottom of the ridge and into Fortuna Bay, across the fast flowing meltwater stream from the Konig Glacier, and up and over the hills to Stromness.
The five men travelled for thirty-six hours over three days to complete the trek, the same time it took Shackleton and his companions to make the journey non-stop. Leader Neil Laughton, Trevor Potts, Peter Oldham, Lewis McNaught and Martin Hartley made the crossing, while the sixth member of the group, Rebecca Harris, was stationed at Grytviken, providing communications links with the traverse party and the outside world.
The expedition group was picked up at Stromness by Quark's ship 'Professor Multanovskiy' on 11 March, travelling via Stanley to Ushuaia, Argentina, from where they had begun their venture in late February. The 'James Caird' replica was returned to Stanley on the 'Kapitan Dranitsyn' and is currently being shipped back to the U.K. Further details about the expedition's program are available at: http://www.shackleton-expedition.org
The crossing organised by the Australian tour company Aurora Expeditions involved six passengers and two guides, Greg Mortimer and Colin Monteath. The eight were deloyed at King Haakon Bay on 10 March, and were accompanied as far as the Shackleton Gap by several other passengers from their ship 'Professor Molchanov'. 'Molchanov', like 'Dranitsyn' had visited the Antarctic Peninsula en route to South Georgia.
During the two and a half days it took to make the crossing the party experienced winds up to seventy knots while crossing the very heavily crevassed Crean Glacier. Their second night was spent sleeping in a twenty metre deep wind scoop between the Crean and Fortuna Galciers so that they had some protection from the elements, otherwise, according to a report from the party, their tents are likely to have been ripped apart.
Mortimer and his companions arrived at Stromness on 12 March and are said to have had a bath in the same unit Shackleton himself used in 1916. 'Professor Molchanov' picked up the party from the old whaling station the following day.
Aurora Expeditions are currently offering another opportunity for its clients to follow Shackleton's crossing route in late November this year. According to the company's web site members of the crossing party are required to have "solid outdoor experience, preferably in crevassed alpine terrain". Participants pay $US500 on top of their normal tour fare to take part in the crossing attempt.
Aurora plans to conduct the operation during a voyage to the island by its vessel 'Polar Pioneer', the renamed 'Akademic Shulyekin'.
[ANAN-46/05]
Five ships which undertook whaling activities in waters south of Australia and New Zealand in 2000-01 returned to their home port in Japan last month to complete what was their fourteenth season of operations in Antarctic waters.
According to the Japan Whaling Association (JPA) a total of 440 Minke whales were taken during the three month operation, one more than was caught in the 1999-2000 season. The Association said in a press release that during operations in Antarctic waters the vessels involved traversed some 35,000 km of ocean and that in addition to the Minkes caught, sighting surveys were conducted, and biopsys taken in a "non-lethal" manner from blue, fin and humpback whales as part of "overall research objective".
A large number of nations and environmental groups oppose the annual operations in Antarctic waters claiming that the prime purpose of the voyages is whale catching not 'research' as characterised by the JPA (ANAN-19/08, 12 April 2000).
The JPA says, however, that "the number of Minke whale schools sighted during [last season's operations] was the highest recorded so far" and that the taking of 440 "poses no risk to the population". It also claims that the operations of the whaling fleet and that of the International Whaling Commission's Southern Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research program (ANAN-38/07, 3 January 2001), "provide the only long-term whale research programs in the Antarctic".
The five vessels involved in this season's operations were the "research mother boat" 'Nishin Maru' of 7,575 gross tonnes, three "sighting and sampling vessels", 'Number 1 Yushin Maru', 'Kyo Maru' and 'Number 25 Toshi Maru, and the "sighting vessel" 'Number 2 Kyoshin Maru'. The sighting and sampling vessels are each in the order of 750 gross tonnes, however the 'Kyoshin Maru' is smaller at 368 gross tonnes.
If the pattern of activity of the fleet in Antarctic waters over the last few years continues, its operations in 2001-02 are likely to be conducted in the south-east Indian Ocean region between Enderby and eastern Wilkes Land, however that has not yet been confirmed.
The full text of the JPA press release is available at: http://www.whalessci.org/news-JARPA.html
[ANAN-46/06]
The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) has brought forward its year 2001 meeting from July and it is now scheduled to be held from 27-30 June in the U.S. capital Washington. The change came as a result of last month's decision to hold this year's Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting later than originally anticipated (ANAN-45/02, 25 April 2001).
Details of day by day meeting arrangements have yet to be finalised, however the open session that is a standard part of each annual meeting is listed for Friday the 29th and is to be held at the headquarters of the U.S. National Science Foundation. Most other days are expected to be attended by IAATO members only.
Enquiries about this year's meeting, including requests to attend, should be directed to Denise Landau via e-mail at iaato@iaato.org.
[ANAN-46/07]
A book on the year-long stay by Australian's Jim and Yvonne Claypole at Cape Denison, George V Land, was released last week by publisher Harper Collins. Titled 'Living on the Edge: Our Personal Antarctic Story', the 262 page book details the couple's 1999 sojourn in a small hut at a place dubbed by legendary explorer Sir Douglas Mawson as the 'Home of the Blizzard' (ANAN-8/05, 10 November 1999).
The book, which is available for around $US15-20 depending on your location, has the ISBN number 0732269156. A video on the Claypole's winter sojourn at Cape Denison titled 'A Year On Ice' was released late last year (ANAN-33/15, 25 October 2000).
[ANAN-46/08]
Please forward notice of events via e-mail to: tourism@aad.gov.au. Up-dates are made to ANAN's web site at
http://www.antdiv.gov.au/goingsouth/tourism/Research/BibConf/Confer/default.asp as soon as new information comes to hand.
YEAR 2001
27-30 June (Washington, D.C., United States)
IAATO year 2001 annual meeting.
Contact: iaato@iaato.org (Denise Landau)(invitation required).
9-20 July (St Petersburg, Russia).
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting XXIV
17-21 July (St Petersburg, Russia).
Antarctic Geodesy Symposium 2001.
Contact: aerogeodezia@actor.ru (Dr Alexander Yuskevitch)
20-24 August (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
COMNAP XIII (including the sub-committee on Tourism and
Non-Government Operations).
Contact: jsayers@comnap.aq (Jack Sayers).
27 August - 1 September (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
VIII SCAR Biology Symposium (Session on "Antarctic research, human
impacts and environmental policy").
For registration contact: vu_conference@dienst.vu.nl
September [Dates to be finalised] (Brittany, France)
Second international exhibition for polar philately.
Contact: philex.pole@laposte.net
YEAR 2002
30 January 2002 (King George Island, Antarctica)
Fifth Antarctic Marathon and Half Marathon.
Contact: marathon@shore.net (Thom Gilligan)
8-19 July (Shanghai, China).
XXVII SCAR (Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research).
July [Dates/location to be set] (Europe).
IAATO year 2002 annual meeting.
Contact: iaato@iaato.org (Denise Landau)(invitation required).
13-18 July (Shanghai, China)
COMNAP XIV (including the sub-committee on Tourism and Non-Government
Operations).
Contact: jsayers@comnap.aq (Jack Sayers).
YEAR 2003
July [Dates to be set] (Seattle, United States).
IAATO year 2003 annual meeting.
Contact: iaato@iaato.org (Denise Landau)(invitation required).
[ANAN-46/08]
Next edition issued on Wednesday, 23 May 2001 @ 0600 UTC.
Deadline for items: Sunday, 20 May 2001 @ 2359 UTC.
Submissions to: Martin.Betts@aad.gov.au
ANAN's aim is to provide a periodic summary of non-government program activities in Antarctica. It is prepared from contributions from company, governmental, academic and private individuals with an interest in this area of endeavour on or around the southern-most continent. Contributions are welcome and should be sent to the e-mail address in the signature block above.
ANTARCTIC NON-GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY NEWS (ANAN)
EDITOR: Martin Betts.
E-MAIL: Martin.Betts@aad.gov.au
POST: P.O. Box 80, Snug, Tasmania 7050, AUSTRALIA.
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