ANTARCTIC NON-GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY NEWS
Tourism Industry |
Brief news items on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic
non-government expedition activities.
ANAN 84
Wednesday, 23 October 2002
News in this edition:
84-01. ATCM canvasses tourism issues, further discussions expected.
84-02. Establishment of a 'Tourism' Working Group mooted for ATCM-XXVI.
84-03. ATCM-XXV papers available 'on line'.
84-04. Record Peninsula berth numbers on offer; load factor key to season's outcome.
84-05. Two, possibly three, flight groups to operate to/from the Patriot Hills.
82-06. Proposed trans-Antarctic, Pole-to-Pole flight, postponed again.
84-07. New whaling museum exhibits ready for tourist season.
84-08. Further work on historic George V Land huts planned.
84-09. France repeals tourist visit and anchorage taxes.
84-10. Navigation guides suggested as link to itinerant yachting community.
84-11. US firms increase their share of ship-based tourist market.
84-12. Number of US tourists falls for second straight season.
84-13. Propeller problem caused cancellation of tour ship's voyages.
84-14. Second attempt to measure mountain's height scheduled.
84-15. Yacht's ice-damaged propeller shaft repaired at Vernadsky.
84-16. Shipping chief receives enterprise award.
84-17. Coming Events Relevant to Non-Government Activities.
ATCM CANVASSES TOURISM ISSUES, FURTHER DISCUSSIONS EXPECTED
[ANAN-84/01]
Discussions on tourism at last month's Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM-XXV) in Warsaw, Poland, are reported to have been wide ranging, although the complexities of the issues involved, time constraints, and the structure of the talks, limited discussion of all the issues. Despite sometimes opposing approaches, there was general agreement that the issue should be considered further at ATCM-XXVI next June; some inter-sessional work is also proposed.
Tourism was listed for "detailed" discussion in Poland after ATCM-XXIV last year agreed that "... there is an increase in the diversity of tourism activities which may present new management challenges" (ANAN-52/01, 1 August 2001).
Fifteen papers relating to tourism were submitted to ATCM-XXV. These documents covered a range of views and issues and are now available 'on line' (see ANAN-84/03 following).
Delegates at the meeting represented 45 nations and 9 mostly non-government bodies. Twenty-six of these countries were Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties who conduct programs in Antarctica. In addition Malaysia, a nation interested in Antarctic issues and whose Prime Minister visited the Antarctic Peninsula on a tour ship earlier this year (ANAN-68/04, 13 March 2002), attended at the invitation of Treaty nations.
France introduced a Working Paper (WP 2) proposing a new Annex to the Madrid Protocol on tourism. A number of delegations considered that a new Annex was not required and that the Protocol already deals effectively with the environmental aspects of tourism. Nevertheless, many delegations considered that the regulation of tourism is inadequate. Delegations expressed interest in continuing consultations on tourism issues intersessionally prior to further discussions at ATCM XXVI. France offered to facilitate these informal intersessional discussions.
Some delegations suggested that Parties need to examine environmental monitoring schemes at tourist sites and to consider a centralised database on Antarctic tourism. All delegations shared the view that issues such as the increase in tourism, particularly high-risk adventure tourism, and the increase in flight connections with Antarctica, needed to be carefully and thoroughly considered by the ATCM.
The role of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators was also recognised by delegates at the meeting. The United Kingdom presented an Information Paper (IP-21) that outlined its policy regarding requests by tour operators to visit British stations and historic sites and monuments in Antarctica: these were restricted to IAATO member companies. The UK believed that this helped to strengthen the position and role of IAATO. This was reinforced by an Information Paper (IP-27) by the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) that noted that the interaction between national Antarctic operators and IAATO tour operators had been positive with few impacts on national programs. COMNAP also noted that its tourist activity concerns related to high-risk adventure tourism expeditions and expeditions organised by companies that were not members of IAATO, particularly if they required search and rescue assistance from national operators.
Next year's Treaty meeting (ATCM-XXVI) is to be held in Madrid, Spain, from 9-20 June. IAATO, which originally listed its 2003 annual gathering for early June, has now re-scheduled that meeting for 5-8 May. The meeting will be held in Seattle in the north-western United States.
Reports on a number of tourism issues discussed or presented in Warsaw have been provided in separate stories in this issue of ANAN, while reports on other isues have been scheduled for publication in ANAN-85 and ANAN-86 in November.
[ANAN-84/10]
Consideration of tourism issues at last month's Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM-XXV) was undertaken across three separate committees, and suggestions were made that a dedicated Tourism Working Group be established at next year's ATCM to address, in a single forum, the complexities involved (see ANAN-84/01 preceding).
Under long-standing meeting procedures ATCMs have referred matters requiring discussion to either the Committee on Environmental Protection (CEP), or one of two working groups (WG) that have been operating for many years. The first WG dealt with legal and policy matters and the second considered issues of an operational nature (WG-II). Each of these groups reported back to ATCM plenary sessions where the final decisions on a particular issue are made.
At ATCM-XXV, that the WG structure was modified so that matters referred to it can be handled in a more effective way. As a result, four working groups met in Warsaw, plus the CEP. The new arrangement allows for other working groups to be established in the future for as long as a particular issue merits it.
The four groups that convened last month were the Secretariat Working Group, Liability Working Group, Legal and Institutional Matters Working Group, and Operational Matters Working Group. Discussions on tourism were assigned to the latter two WGs as well as the CEP, for there were aspects of the tourism discussions that best fitted into each of those groups. The discussions on tourism in one WG were sometimes dependent on the outcomes generated by the other groups and vice versa. The tight timetable for discussions on tourism also limited the opportunity to fully canvass all tourism issues at the meeting (ANAN-80/01, 28 August 2002).
As noted earlier, the ATCM-XXV meeting suggested that a single working group be established at ATCCM-XXVI in next June so that the full range of tourism issues could be addressed within the one session. If established, such a group would not necessarily operate permanently, but would only exist long enough to address an issue before being dissolved.
Papers and reports provided by delegations to last month's Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM-XXV) in Warsaw, Poland, are now available 'on line' at web site established by the Polish Government to support the meeting (http://www.25atcm.gov.pl).
Fifteen papers that relate directly to Antarctic tourism were submitted to ATCM-XXV, one being a Working Paper (WP) and the other 14 were Information Papers (IP). Working Papers normally tend to be formal proposals on how the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) could deal with an issue, while Information Papers which are not translated contain details of general interest.
The only Working Paper on tourism tabled at ATCM-XXV was that submitted by France (WP-2) which recommended that an Annex to the Madrid Protocol dealing with tourism should be developed. The suggestion was not, however, taken up by the meeting.
Of the fourteen Information Papers, five were submitted by national delegations and nine by other bodies. The national delegation submissions included: IP-9 prepared by France dealing with tax issues (see ANAN-84/09 following); IP-16 by Russia on the rubbish removal program at its Bellingshausen station earlier this year (ANAN-66/06, 13 February 2002); IP-21 submitted by the UK on its policies for tourist visits to its Antarctic stations and historic sites (ANAN-77/05, 17 July 2002); IP- 90 by Argentina that provided a report on ship-based tourism from Ushuaia; and Australia contributed IP-108 which set out a general list of tourism-related issues and possible responses to them.
Other Information Papers were provided by the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Progams (COMNAP). Its IP-27 summarised reports from national program operators on the interaction they had had with non-government expeditions in 2001-02. The International Association of Antarctica Tourist Operators (IAATO) tabled seven papers and the environmental group the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) presented five.
The Chairman's report of last April's IAATO-organised meeting on tourism was tabled by the tour body (IP-30). The ATCM-XXV meeting report noted that the report "was welcomed" and "provided an excellent basis for [future] discussions on Antarctic tourism". IAATO also submitted IP-72 on guidelines for tourist operations, including new whale watching standards; IP-73 which provided an overview of current tourism (see ANAN-84/04 following); and IP-85 on regulatory mechanisms that currently exist for addressing tourism issues in Antarctica.
ASOC's papers included: a list of past ATCM papers on tourism-related discussions held at Treaty meetings in the past (IP-52); the use of port-state jurisdiction to regulate vessels engaged in Antarctic tourism (IP-63); a paper suggesting that navigational guides be used to inform the itinerant yachting community of their environmental obligations (IP-76)(see ANAN-84/10 following); and ideas on ways in which tourism could be managed in the future (IP-83).
A record number of berths are available on tourist ships scheduled to land passengers at Antarctic Peninsula locations during the 2002-03 austral summer according to information provided to last month's Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM-XXV) by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). Should average voyage load levels reach 75 per cent across the fleet over the next four months, eight percentage points less than the actual figure reached in 2001-02, a new visitor record for the Peninsula region should be set.
Ship-based tourist operations are due to get under way on 2 November with the departure of the vessels 'Professor Multanovsky' and 'Professor Molchanov' from Puerto Madryn in south-eastern Argentina, and end with the return of the 'Polar Pioneer' to Ushuaia, Argentina, on 18 March.
In the intervening period, three large liners are to cruise the Peninsula region, at least18 vessels and 15-20 yachts will conduct landings both there and in nearby waters, and two ships will work in the Ross Sea, one of them also conducting a circumnavigation of the continent.
Thirteen vessels will be operating in the Peninsula region during November, seventeen in December, eighteen in January, twenty in February and eleven in March. Given current schedules, there are at least six periods of between 4 and 10 days in length, when 11 to 12 ships will be in Peninsula waters at the one time. However, IAATO advised earlier this year that it had arrangements in place to deal with any potential crowding at landing sites.
IAATO's data, which were tabled as Information Paper 73 (IP-73) in Warsaw (see ANAN-84/03 preceding), includes details for operators who are affiliated with it as well as for those who are non-members.
In their totality, IP-73 figures confirm the independent analysis carried out by ANAN five months ago that suggested that the 17 tourist ships making landings could conduct 123 separate voyages to the Peninsula (ANAN-75/01, 19 June 2002).
The tour body's paper puts the figures at 18 vessels and 123 voyages, the visit by the 'Oosterschelde' having been announced just two months ago (ANAN- 79/06, 14 August 2002). A few other relatively minor changes to other schedules have also been made recently. Further analysis of available information in recent weeks also suggests that 42 ship visits to South Georgia will now be made (see ANAN-84/07 following).
When analysed, IP-73 figures put the overall number of 'landing' berths that will be available to the Peninsula on all voyages in 2002-03 at just over 18,000, higher than ANAN's mid-year estimate of 16,500.
However, few voyages depart with all berths filled, and the IAATO paper puts the number of 'probable [Peninsula landing] passengers' at around 13,964. That is more than the 13,600 who landed during the record 1999-2000 season (ANAN-26/01, 19 July 2000), but is based on an average load level of only 77 per cent.
IAATO data published for the last two seasons indicate that the average load levels were 75 and 83 per cent respectively. Last season's 83 per cent figure was achieved despite the tragic events of September last year (ANAN-77/01, 17 July 2002) and there were indications earlier this year that bookings for 2002-03 were running at very strong levels (ANAN-79/02, 14 August 2002).
That level of interest appears similar to that reported by the cruise industry elsewhere in the world. The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents 23 North American cruise lines and 17,000 affiliated travel agencies, reported last week that there was a 3.8 per cent increase in the number people taking their cruises in the first half of 2002. More than 20 additional ships are due to enter the CLIA fleet over the next 14 months according to Association Chairman Mark Conroy.
In releasing the half-year analysis, Conroy said that CLIA affiliates "have invested literally billions of dollars not only in building state-of-the-art ships but also in consistently upgrading our existing fleets". He continued by saying that the "consensus in the industry is that business will continue to improve and that we will end 2002 on a strong note, which should flow through into 2003."
Despite that enthusiastic forecast for the global cruise industry, some experienced industry analysts say that if the world security situation deteriorates significantly over the next few months, the current positive outlook could soon change.
Up to three sets of flight operations, the first of which is already under way, may be conducted using the blue-ice runway at the Patriot Hills in Ellsworth Land during the 2002-03 austral summer. US tour operator Adventure Network International (ANI) will again use its camp there for a range of activities; the Chilean national program is to return for the first time in two years; and so far unconfirmed reports suggest that the Russian company Antex-Polex may also be planning to undertake operations there.
ANI, which first used the Patriot Hills blue-ice runway in the mid 1980s, is to conduct its normal range of tourist and expedition-support operations from there over the next three months. A Ukranian-registered Iluyshin-76, heavy-lift jet aircraft is once again to be used for the intercontinental 'feeder' route from Punta Arenas, Chile, while a Turbo DC3, two Twin Otters and a Cessna 185, all Canadian registered, will support ANI's intra-continental operations.
The DC3 arrived at the Patriot Hills on 18 November, flying there in just two days from Punta Arenas via the UK national program station Rothera. Re-establishment of ANI's field camp is currently under way. The other small aircraft, including the Cessna which is returning from a major overhaul in Canada, were expected to reach there sometime last week, weather permitting, although the Cessna will probably also transit through the Chilean national program runway on King George Island.
The IL-76 is expected to commence flights to the Patriot Hills as soon as the camp is operational and weather conditions are suitable. The first passenger flight is currently believed to be listed for 1 November.
Some 160 tourists and adventurers are expected to be flown to the base camp on 14 inter-continental flights, while a number of 'fuel' only intercontinental flights will also be needed as part of preparations for the 2003-04 operations.
Around half of ANI's clients will be attempting to climb nearby Vinson Massif, Antarctica's highest mountain, another quarter are to be flown to the South Geographic Pole (SGP), while the others will be undertaking a range of activities (ANAN73/01, 22 May 2002 and ANAN-84/15 following), including the company's second high-plateau marathon (ANAN-79/10, 14 August 2002).
On the traverse front, at least one ANI 'Ski South Pole' and possibly several 'Ski the Last Degree' traverses are likely, while two 'Cure Walk' skiers also plan to trek to the SGP (ANAN-81/03, 11 September 2002). A separate pair of adventurers hopes to ride specially designed wind-powered buggies in the opposite direction (ANAN-82/09, 25 September 2002). Four adventurers also plan to conduct a traverse of the Sentinel Range (ANAN-83/02, 9 October 2002).
ANI is also believed to be planning to support at least one group of mountaineers in the Dronning Maud Land (DML) region. At least two flights into the blue-ice runway 'Blue 1' in DML may be made direct from Punta Arenas, although given the distance involved they will need to be refuelled in Antarctica in order that it can return to Chile. South Africa-based Antarctic Logistics Centre International is also believed to be hoping to conduct a similar DML program from Cape Town (ANAN-83/01, 9 October 2002).
Operations by the Chilean national program in the Patriot Hills were cancelled in 2001-02 due to budgetary problems, although their small Patriot Hills camp was used last season by the multi-national private expedition that later had to abandon its Antonov-3 (AN-3) aircraft at the South Geographic Pole (SGP)(ANAN-66/02, 13 February 2002). Chilean Air Force (CAF) Hercules aircraft are to operate to the blue-ice runway from Punta Arenas this season, and it is understood that two CAF Twin Otters are to be based there in the November-January period to support research programs in the surrounding region.
Few details are available as to what Antex-Polex may be planning, although their aim, if they do conduct operations, is likely to include returning the AN-3 from the Pole. The company organised both aircraft, the AN-3 and an IL-76, involved in last season's troubled SGP visit program, and are believed to have been working on plans for the Antonov's return for some time (ANAN-79/05, 14 August 2002).
Information received from a number of sources in Russia and elsewhere over the past few weeks suggests that a combined flight-traverse operation may be being planned. If true, such an approach would indicate that any plans to fly the aircraft direct from the Pole have now been abandoned. It may be very difficult to bring an aircraft up to flight status in the field after it has spent almost a year sitting on the high polar plateau.
Under a scenario that has been put to ANAN, an IL-76, separate from the one that ANI plans to use, would fly one or more vehicles and sledges from Russia to Punta Arenas and on to the Patriot Hills. A traverse would then be conducted from there with that equipment to the Pole and back. Once at the Pole, according to the information provided to ANAN, the AN-3's wings would be removed, then both they and the fuselage would be carried back to the Patriot Hills on the sledges, the IL-76 flying the smaller plane, vehicles and sledges from there back to Russia via Chile. The IL-76, a large wheeled-aircraft, would be unable to land at the SGP runway which normally only supports ski-equipped aircraft.
The 2,200 km return overland journey to the Pole and back would be a significant operation, although Russian specialists have had a great deal of experience over the past 40 years with high plateau traverse operations in Antarctica. Four out of eight previously unproven 'snow bug' vehicles that were flown into the Patriot Hills by an IL-76, made the return journey in 12 days during the 'Millennium Expedition' of 1999-2000 (ANAN-14/02, 2 February 2000). On that occasion, each 'bug' pulled a sledge loaded with fuel and equipment and, despite problems with their drive units, they managed to travel at around 25-30 km per hour whilst under way. Whether that vehicle-sledge combination would be capable of transporting a disassembled AN-3 is not known, but such a traverse is clearly feasible.
Despite the reports that have been received by ANAN about the flight-traverse plan, it has not yet been possible to confirm their accuracy. A number of attempts have been made in the past month to try and clarify with Antex-Polex what is being planned, but to date no response has been forthcoming.
US-based Concorde Spirit Tours (CST) has postponed its proposed flight by a wide-bodied jet across Antarctica early next year as part of an attempt to set a new record time for an around-the-world journey via both geographic Poles. CST originally scheduled the flight for November last year but the company cancelled it soon after the September terrorist attacks, before re-scheduling it last July for mid-January 2003 (ANAN78/04, 31 July 2002).
CST President Don Pevsner gave "a probable US/Iraq war" as the reason for the deferral of the re-scheduled flight. He told ANAN that he was forced to make the decision as he "cannot risk a repeat performance of September 11", when, he says, the impact on his plans was significant.
Pevsner says that his 'first choice of dates' for the next attempt, which will now start and end in Miami in the south-eastern US, is 15-17 December 2003. Those dates have been chosen so that the aircraft used could fly over the site of the Wright Brothers' first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on the 100th anniversary of its occurrence. Pevsner says, however, that the "availability of a Boeing 747-400 shortly before a major holiday period remains the key issue".
CST's web site for the flight is: http://www.over-both-poles.com.
Tourists visiting the South Georgia Whaling Museum at Grytviken during the 2002-03 austral summer will have two new rooms of exhibits to examine. A record number of visitors are expected at Grytviken in what will be the Museum's eleventh season, over 40 tour ship visits and an unknown number of yachts being expected over the next 4-5 months (ANAN-75/03, 19 June 2002).
The two rooms at the Museum that are being used for the new exhibits are the old 'temporary' post office (originally an administration room in whaling days), and a lobby with adjoining bathroom and toilet which were last in use when the building was the whaling station Manager's villa.
The new display in the former post office area covers 'administrative' events on the island from the arrival of the first magistrate in 1909 until the present day. Memorabilia from the military barracks and the recently demolished 'Shackleton House' at nearby King Edward Point (KEP) are on display, as are environmental management plans for the island and other initiatives of the South Georgia Government.
In the 'Whalers' Trades' room, the work of the tradesmen responsible for maintaining the whaling station's ships, plant and equipment is illustrated. As most of the whaling station is closed to visitors for safety reasons, these exhibits play an important role in showing the range and complexity of the tasks undertaken by those men.
One of the centrepieces of that area is a steam pump that was either a bilge or water-circulating pump for cooling the main engines on one of the whale catchers. It was fully restored by engineering staff on the UK national program vessel the 'RRS Shackleton', the task taking a year of 'spare-time' work.
In addition, a 'Bolinder' diesel engine, dating to the 1930s, will also be on display as soon as the snow melts sufficiently for it to be taken from KEP to Grytviken. The engine powered a small vessel that was used to tow whales, which had been left on buoys within the cove, to the flensing "plan" on shore. It has been restored during the past 10 months by British Antarctic Survey (BAS) fitter-mechanic Andy Smith at KEP in his spare time.
As the old post office area is now occupied by one of the new displays, the South Georgia post office has been moved to purpose-built premises at KEP (ANAN-43/04, 14 March 2001). Visitors to the island can go there on the way to Shackleton's Memorial Cross, however, basic stamps for letters and postcards, along with other souvenir items, will still be available for sale in the Museum shop across the bay.
Irene Valenkamp and Alasdair Reid are assisting Museum curators Tim and Pauline Carr at the Museum during the season ahead. Valenkamp first visited the island on the tour vessel 'Kapitan Dranitsyn' in January 2001, while Reid passed through on his way to and from BAS's Signy and Halley stations in 2000-01. The Carr's have now been year-round residents in South Georgia for ten years.
Richard McKee will be the Marine Officer at KEP until December, handling fisheries, customs, and ship arrivals and departures. Then long-time incumbent, Pat Lurcock, returns from leave. McKee previously occupied the position between May and October 2001 Miranda McKee, whose mother and grandparents Basil and Betty Biggs lived on South Georgia in the 1950s and 60s, will be the deputy post mistress until Sarah Lurcock also returns in December.
Nine Australian national program personnel left Hobart on 16 October at the start of a 10-week program whose aim is to continue conservation and restoration work on 'heroic era' huts built at Cape Denison in George V Land by explorer-scientist Sir Douglas Mawson in 1911. The $US250,000 expedition, which is being funded by the Australian government, will, if conditions allow, remove snow and ice from inside the historic structures, repair roofs and walls, and assess and document any artefacts found.
This year's program is a continuation of work commenced by the non-government AAP Mawson's Huts Foundation (AMHF) in 1997. Substantial work, part of which was funded by the government, has been undertaken at Cape Denison by AMHF parties during two previous summer operations and several other brief visits. A conservation management plan for the site has also been developed.
This year's conservation group, which is travelling to and from Cape Denison on the French national program vessel 'L'Astrolabe', includes a heritage architect, a materials conservator, an archaeologist and two carpenters who are experienced at heritage-type work. The party expects to return to Australia in January.
Tour ships have made relatively few visits to Cape Denison, most companies preferring to travel directly between Australia or New Zealand and the Ross Sea, rather than deviate further to the west. Analysis of visit records shows that, on average, only about half the ships that visit there are able to land passengers ashore at Cape Denison on the day that they arrive as the area is often subjected to long periods of fierce winds.
US-based tour company Quark Expeditions has listed a visit to Cape Denison this December with the 'Kapitan Khlebnikov' as part of its circumnavigation of the continent (ANAN-50/02, 4 July 2001). The Australian company Aurora Expeditions is currently advertising a visit there in December 2003 with the 46-passenger vessel 'Akademik Shokalsky'.
FRANCE REPEALS TOURIST VISIT AND ANCHORAGE TAXES
[ANAN-84/09]
The French government has repealed two legislative decrees that required vessels conducting tourist and adventure activities in Adelie Land to pay an anchorage fee and a per-person visitor tax. The fees, which are believed to have been the first of their kind levied on the Antarctic continent, caused concerns for an Australian tour company, Ocean Frontiers, which visited the French station at Dumont d'Urville earlier this year (ANAN-66/03, 13 February 2002).
France detailed its decision in Information Paper 9 at last month's Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATM-XXV) in Warsaw, Poland (see ANAN-84/01 preceding). The paper says that France had "intended to invite all States who have permanent scientific bases in Antarctica to do the same", but that after consultation with other Treaty nations it was realised it would not be able to obtain consensus on such a move. The decrees were subsequently withdrawn, effective 1 July 2002.
According to the ATCM paper, the taxes were introduced as a measure to "slow down the expansion of tourism" around France's Dumont d'Urville station on the coast of Adelie Land. The initiative stemmed from a policy that was aimed "at protecting the Antarctic environment" as it has been "increasingly threatened by the development [of tourism]" in recent years". Funds generated by the tax revenue were to be used to "repair [any damage caused] to the Antarctic environment" by tourism.
Few tourist ships have visited Dumont d'Urville over the past decade, the station being off the routes normally plied by such vessels. No more that 500 tourists are thought to have visited Dumont in the period since 1995. A small number of paying passengers also visited the station on the French national program vessel L'Astrolabe' in the mid-1990s, similar to berths that are available for visiting the French sub-Antarctic islands in the Indian Ocean (ANAN-7/05, 27 October 1999). However, the availability of paying-passenger berths to the continent was withdrawn several years ago.
One tour ship, the 108-passenger icebreaker 'Kapitan Khlebnikov', will be in the Dumont d'Urville area in early December this year in the initial stages of its circumnavigation of Antarctica (ANAN-50/02, 4 July 2001), while a voyage to the region by the 46-passenger vessel 'Akademik Shokalskiy' has been advertised for December 2003.
NAVIGATION GUIDES SUGGESTED AS LINK TO ITINERANT YACHTING COMMUNITY
[ANAN-84/10]
According to a paper submitted to last month's Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM-XXV), details of the environmental obligations of Antarctic visitors should be included in navigation guides and charts of the region so that members of the itinerant yachting community have ready access to that information. There is general concern in the Antarctic community that many private 'holidaying' yachts are ignorant of their requirement to undertake an environmental impact assessment for their activities or even that environmental guidelines exist for activities in Antarctica (ANAN-82/04, 25 September 2002).
The paper, which was submitted to ATCM-XXV by the environmental group the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC), reiterates the concerns that many have about management of the activities of private yachts, and also points out that "very few" environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for yacht-based expeditions to the Antarctic Treaty region have been prepared recently. For operators from Treaty Party nations who have ratified the Madrid Protocol, EIAs need to be prepared and approved prior to an activity proceeding in Antarctica.
ASOC says that marine guides and charts are "an obvious place for the presentation of clear, unambiguous advice" to yacht operators of the Protocol and the obligations that flow from it. The paper says that few yachts are prepared to enter Antarctic waters without first obtaining copies of the guides and charts of the region. These charts and guides are produced by government authorities in some nations. Even though charting around much of Antarctica is far from complete, both sets of documents provide key information for sea-based operations in the region.
Navigational guides for Antarctica are currently produced by Argentina, Chile, the UK and the US, while other nations produce charts of various parts of the region.
Of the guides, only two currently mention the Madrid Protocol or provide any information on the obligations that flow from it says ASOC, while only a few charts contain any reference to environmental issues. The paper expresses the view that even those guides that do mention such matters do not provide sufficient information to ensure that yacht or other operators are aware of any Protocol-related obligations, and makes the comment that "there may be merit" in including such details in the next editions of the four Antarctic guides.
While acknowledging that there is a limit to just how much information should be provided in the guides, the paper suggests that "clear and unambiguous text on Antarctic Treaty and [generic] Protocol obligations, [including] advance notice requirements, prior EIA, waste sewage and fuel handling, protected areas and avoidance of harmful interference, should be presented in them". The guides could also provide details of national Antarctic agencies that should be contacted in the lead-up to any proposed Antarctic visit. Finally, the paper suggests that the information should be "prominently displayed, and indexed", in the guides, and not "buried several hundred pages into [the documents]".
Apart from the guides and charts, ASOC says that given the small number of ports around the southern hemisphere from which yachts leave for Antarctica, "targeted posters or notices" could be displayed in sailing clubs, coast guard or Harbour Masters' offices in those gateway ports. The importance of such ports in managing potential visitors to Antarctica was first discussed over 10 years ago, and was raised again at a meeting on tourism issues organised by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) in April this year (ANAN-82/04, 25 September 2002).
ASOC says that the measures it outlined in its paper (ATCM-XXV Information Paper 76) would "substantially improve" the likelihood that yacht operators [will] be aware of any Protocol obligations prior to their arrival in Antarctica. The paper concludes, however, by stating that whether such moves would translate into effective compliance remains to be seen, but that it hopes such actions "would make a difference".
According to the draft report from ATCM-XXV, the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) advised the meeting that one of its member organisations had produced a "comprehensive navigational note in conjunction with its national maritime safety authority". COMNAP said it "would be pleased to provide a paper to ATCM-XXVI [in June next year] with a revised version of the navigational note that [could then] be used as a model for other nations if they so wish".
US FIRMS INCREASE THEIR SHARE OF SHIP-BASED TOURIST MARKET
[ANAN-84/11]
United States-based companies increased their share of the ship-based tourism market by 12 per cent in 2001-02, carrying close to two-thirds of all tourists who travelled to the continent by sea on passenger vessels. Despite that result, which appears to have flowed partly from the demise of Canadian operator Marine Expeditions last year (ANAN-49/01, 20 June 2001), the number of US citizens who visited Antarctica has fallen for the third year running (see ANAN-84/12 following).
According to data collected by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), and collated by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) (ANAN-23/02, 7 June 2000), 18 companies (one more than the previous season) from six nations conducted tourist-ship voyages during the 2001-02 austral summer.
Of these, eight US firms carried 64 per cent (or 8,578 ship-based tourists), two German companies accounted for 15 per cent (2,006 tourists) and five operators from Australia 12 per cent (1,650). In addition, single Norwegian (676), Dutch (265), and New Zealand (135) entities accounted for five, two and one per cent of tourists respectively. IAATO/NSF data for the 2000-01 season showed the US share of the market was 52 per cent, while Marine Expeditions had 16 per cent.
The top five companies in terms of passengers carried last season were:
Orient Lines (US) - 22 per cent of the market; 1 ship; 2,893 passengers; 6 voyages;
Holland America Line (US) - 15 per cent of the market; 1 ship; 2,029 passengers; 2 voyages;
Hapag-Lloyd (Germany) - 13 per cent of the market;2 ships; 1,741 passengers; 14 voyages;
Quark Expeditions (US) - 11 per cent of the market; 4 ships; 1,410 passengers; 27 voyages; and
Peregrine Expeditions (Australia) - 7 per cent of the market; 1 ship; 918 passengers; 10 voyages.
Of these five, all except Holland America conducted landing operations, and 56 of the 59 voyages they collectively ran were to the Antarctic Peninsula region. Orient Lines is the only non-IAATO member of that group as its ship, the 'Marco Polo', conducted landings with 515, 547 and 548 passengers on three of its six voyages. Under IAATO By-Laws, IAATO members whose vessels are carrying more than 500 passengers are not permitted to make landings in Antarctica (ANAN-51/02, 18 July 2001).
While the top five companies accounted for 68 per cent of ship-based tourists, the remaining 32 per cent of tourists were taken south by 13 other operators. Just on a quarter of the total number of tourists was carried by five other companies, three of these from the US, one from Norway and one from Australia. The three US and one Australian company were:
Clipper Cruise Lines (US) - 6 per cent of the market; /1 ship; 744 passengers; 8 voyages;
Lindblad Expeditions (US) - 5 per cent of the market; 1 ship; 698 passengers; 7 voyages;
Abercrombie and Kent, Explorer Shipping (US) - 5 per cent of the market; 1 ship; 652 passengers; 8 voyages; and
Aurora Expeditions (Aust.) - 4 per cent of the market; 1 ship; 469 passengers; 8 voyages.
Norwegian company Polar Star Expeditions, which operated in Antarctica for the first time in 2001-02 (see ANAN-84/16 following) produced a solid result for its first season, operating a single ship on 9 voyages, carrying 676 passengers, and taking five per cent of the total market share.
The remaining eight companies that were listed as conducting voyages accounted for 1,080 tourists, or just under 10 per cent of the total number involved. Three of those companies were from Australia, two from the US, and one each is based in Germany, The Netherlands and New Zealand.
IAATO data for 2001-02 also indicates that 19 yachts visited the Antarctic Peninsula during that season, carrying between them a total of 148 passengers and 102 crew on 29 voyages. Six French yachts made a total of 9 voyages (47 passengers, 20 crew) and four yachts from the UK made 9 voyages (43 passengers; 51 crew). The other craft were from Brazil, the Cayman Islands, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, New Zealand, and the US.
IAATO/NSF data for the 2000-01 season lists 14 yachts conducting 18 voyages and carrying around 140 people. The relatively large increase between the two seasons is likely to be due to the availability of better information in this industry sector, rather than to a sudden increase in activity, although yacht visits to the Peninsula region are thought to be slowly increasing (ANAN-82/08, 25 September 2002).
NUMBER OF US TOURISTS FALLS FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT SEASON
[ANAN-84/12]
The number of tourists from the United States who travelled to Antarctica on tour ships in 2001-02 fell for the second successive season. A total of 4,795 people from the US, or 41 per cent of all ship-based visitors, travelled to the continent last season, down from 5,709 in 2000-01 (47 per cent) and 7,739 (52 per cent) in 1999-2000 (ANAN-53/03, 15 August 2001).
According to data collected by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), and collated by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) (ANAN-23/02, 7 June 2000), US citizens have made up the majority of Antarctic tourists over the last eight seasons. The US-share increased steadily from 36 per cent (2,985 tourists) in 1994-95 to 52 per cent (7,739 people) in the peak season of 1999-2000.
The fall in 2000-01 was linked with the absence last season of three large ships that had visited the Antarctic Peninsula region in 1999-2000, and the further decrease in 2001-02 was probably due to the effects of last year's terrorist attacks in the US (ANAN-77/01, 17 July 2002).
Despite the fall, US companies have increased their share of tourist numbers (see ANAN-84/11 preceding) and there are indications that the decline in numbers may turn around during the 2002-03 austral summer (see ANAN-84/04 preceding and ANAN-79/02, 14 August 2002).
While US numbers fell, what has for many years been the second largest destination 'block' for tourists, from Germany, the UK and Australia, was virtually unchanged. Visitors from these three nations again accounted for just over 30 per cent of the total, or very close to 3,700 people over each of the three seasons from 1999-2000 to 2001-2002.
US, German, UK and Australian citizens have accounted for just over 75 per cent of all ship-based tourists over the last six seasons. In that time, 37,127 people from the US, 9,600 from Germany, 7,917 from the UK and 6,092 from Australia have travelled to Antarctica by ship. Visitors from these four leading nations made up 75 per cent of tourists in 2001-02, Canada, Japan, The Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland made up a further 14 per cent for that season, while the final 11 per cent came from people from 53 other nations.
According to the IAATO/NSF data, 45 per cent of tourists last season were from North America, 36 per cent from Europe, and 8 per cent from Australasia. Only 6 per cent came from Asia, one per cent from Central and South America, and one per cent from Africa.
The full set of data on tourist numbers is provided by IAATO on its web site: http://www.iaato.org/.
PROPELLER PROBLEM CAUSED CANCELLATION OF TOUR SHIP'S VOYAGES
[ANAN-84/13]
Propeller damage that possibly resulted from an encounter with hard sea-ice, caused the cancellation of two of the three voyages that had been scheduled for the German tour vessel 'Vista Mar' during the 2001-02 austral summer. The ship was only a week into a planned 41-day Antarctic season when the damage was sustained in Hope Bay near the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula on 28 December.
Brief details about the incident were provided in a report prepared by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) that was submitted to last month's Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM-XXV) in Warsaw, Poland (see ANAN-84/01 preceding).
According to IAATO's account, 'Vista Mar' was manoeuvring near the Argentine national program station Esperanza when its port propeller was damaged. As a result, a small quantity of oil, estimated to have been less than one litre, leaked into the sea before the system could be shut down. Esperanza was immediately advised of the problem, but no damage to the environment is believed to have resulted from the leak.
However, the propeller was affected such that the ship's manoeuvrability was impaired. While details are not provided in IAATO's report, it is believed that although the vessel continued with the voyage, the decision was soon made to cancel what remained of her Antarctic season so that repairs could be made. Nearly 400 people were on 'Vista Mar' when the propeller damage occurred: 265 passengers, 17 expedition staff, and a crew of 110.
It is not clear if the propeller damage was caused by sea-ice or as a result of contact with an underwater object. Coincidently, another German vessel, Hapag-Lloyd's 'Hanseatic', suffered propeller damage after striking what was thought to be an "extremely hard piece of glacial ice" in Paradise Bay, further down the Antarctic Peninsula, in February 1999. Two of its voyages had to be cancelled that season so that repairs could be made to Hanseatic's propeller in dry dock (ANAN-3/02, 1 September 1999).
IAATO's report, which was presented as ATCM-XXV Information Paper 39, also details the tour ship Professor Molchanov's encounter with an iceberg on 18 January (ANAN-68/03, 13 March 2002). The paper says that incident, which resulted in the ship 'bumping' a large iceberg, was caused by an apparent "misunderstanding on the bridge as to the navigational commands between the officer on the watch and the helmsman".
No lives were endangered by either of the two incidents reported in the IAATO paper.
'Vista Mar', which has operated irregularly in Antarctic Peninsula waters over the last five years, is currently scheduled to return there in 2003-04 and possibly 2004-05 (ANAN-73/07, 22 May 2002). 'Professor Molchanov' is expected to conduct 10 voyages in the South American sector of Antarctica in 2002-03, four of them involving visits to South Georgia. The first is due to leave Puerto Madryn on the south-east coast of Argentina, on 2 November.
SECOND ATTEMPT TO MEASURE MOUNTAIN'S HEIGHT SCHEDULED
[ANAN-84/14]
A second attempt is to be made by next month to climb Mount Shinn in the Sentinel Range of Ellsworth Land in a venture that aims to obtain accurate measurements of its height. Last December's attempt on the mountain (ANAN-60/06, 21 November 2001), which is generally considered to be the third highest on the continent, had to be abandoned just 100 m from the summit due to dangerous avalanche conditions.
The expedition to climb and measure Mount Shinn is again being funded by the Omega Foundation, a US-based group that supports scientific programs. Plans call for the ascent of the mountain to be made via the normal south-west face route, before six hours or more are spent on the summit logging data from Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites.
The Sentinel Range was surveyed by the US national program in 1963 and again in 1979. The 1960's work put the height of Vinson Massif, Antarctica's highest mountain, at 5,140 m. A survey in the late seventies survey, however, reduced this to 4, 897 m, although GPS measurements made in January 2001 gave a figure of 4,901 m (ANAN-50/04, 4 July 2001). The original height measured for Mount Tyree, the second highest mountain in Antarctica and which lies 15 km north-west of Vinson, was also reduced by a several hundred metres.
US topographic maps generated from each survey did not give a height for Mount Shinn, although it has generally been considered to be around 4,800 m, making it the third highest mountain on the continent. Were it as low as 4,650 m, Shinn would be the same height as Mount Craddock, 6 km south-east of Vinson, which is currently considered to be Antarctica's fourth highest mountain.
In early December last year, three days after ascending Vinson Massif, Australian Damien Gildea and New Zealander Mike Roberts of the 'The Omega Shinn GPS Expedition 2001', were forced to turn back just 100m below the summit of Mount Shinn by "very bad" wind slab avalanche conditions. What Gildea says were "very rough readings" on their wrist altimeters at their high-point suggest that the peak is somewhat lower than the current 4,800 m estimate.
Time and other factors prevented a second attempt being made on Mount Shinn last year. All up, the pair spent 11 days in the Sentinel Range area, five being spent ascending and descending Vinson and Shinn, while the remaining six saw them tent-bound at Camps 2 and 3 due to bad weather.
This year Gildea is to climb with Chilean Rodrigo Fica Perez. This will be Gildea's fourth visit to Antarctica, while Perez, who will be visiting the continent for the first time, is an experienced mountaineer. He made the first north-south crossing of the South Patagonian Ice-Cap and has climbed numerous high peaks in the Andes.
Gildea says that it is very important that a 'clean' six hours of data are collected if Mount Shinn's elevation is to be computed to within a few metres.
It is hoped that data collected on the summit will be sent directly from there via the Iridium satellite network to a web site at Geosciences Australia, an Australian government agency. Once there, the data will be analysed automatically and the computed elevation will be returned to the lap top on the summit via the same means. In Australia, tests of the system have worked well, web site computers taking around 10 minutes for the computations, however, it has never been tried before from a latitude as high as 79 degrees.
Gildea and Perez are scheduled to be flown into the Patriot Hills from Punta Arenas, Chile, by US-based tour company Adventure Network International (ANI) on 18 November. From there, another ANI aircraft will deliver them to Vinson Massif (see ANAN-84/05 preceding). They say they only plan to return north "when the project is completed", although they currently anticipate being back in Punta Arenas by mid-December.
YACHT'S ICE-DAMAGED PROPELLOR SHAFT REPAIRED AT VERNADSKY
[ANAN-84/15]
The propeller shaft of the commercially operated yacht 'Fernande' was repaired at the Ukranian station Vernadsky last February in an operation that involved support from another yacht and national program personnel on shore. The shaft had been bent during an encounter with heavy sea-ice in the nearby Penola Strait region and, as a result, the yacht was unable to use its engine.
Persistent sea-ice in the southern Gerlache Strait, Lemaire Channel and Penola Strait regions of the Antarctic Peninsula caused problems for yachts, and sometimes tour ships, during the 2001-02 austral summer (ANAN-64/07, 16 January 2002). 'Fernande' skipper Pascal Grinberg was able to get the vessel to Vernadsky by sail to make the necessary repairs before heading to port in southern South America, rather than rely on sail alone to get there through the prevailing ice conditions.
'Fernande' was assisted in the repair operation by scuba divers from the Mission Antarctica group's yacht '2041' and engineering staff at Vernadsky. Two '2041' crew members, one of whom was a former commercial diver, carried out most of the underwater work involved on 27 February, using equipment carried for just such a problem.
Removal of the three-metre long propeller shaft from the 21.5 m, aluminium-hulled 'Fernande' appears to have gone smoothly, a large wooden bung being used to seal the hole in the outer hull through which the shaft ran. Inspections subsequently revealed that the ice had not damaged the propeller, however, the shaft was reported to have been "quite badly" bent. Station personnel in Vernadsky's workshop were able to straighten the shaft to a tolerance "within 0.5 mm" of optimal.
Sliding the shaft back into 'Fernande' was not as straight-forward as its removal, however. The divers had considerable difficulty guiding it past the outer bearing as they had "nothing to push on" while in the water. A rope linked to the yacht's winches was eventually used to help pull the shaft into the craft, Grinberg also diving in the latter stages of the operation to finish the task and carry out an underwater inspection of his boat.
During their time in the water the divers wore dry suits, underneath which they had thermal underwear, two layers of fleece, and clothes designed for heavy 'on deck' sailing. They apparently wore standard diving weights but their outfits were still so buoyant that they also had to fill their pockets with shackles, chain and bolts in order that they could submerge.
Even though it was late summer 'Fernande', which is from France, and '2041' from the UK, were reportedly only the second and third yachts to reach Vernadsky during the 2001-02 season. At least 19 yachts conducted a minimum of 29 voyages to the Peninsula region in 2001-02 (see ANAN-84/11 preceding), and the small number that were able to reach the Ukranian station is probably an indication of how difficult ice conditions south of the Gerlache Strait were for such craft last season.
The French yacht was making its third Peninsula visit for the season at the time it was damaged, and had seven passengers and a crew of two on board. The UK boat was carrying three passengers and four crew on what was its sixth and last Peninsula visit for 2001-02.
'2041' conducted all of its voyages from King George Island in the South Shetland Islands in a 'fly-sail' operation (ANAN-66/06, 13 February 2002). Fernande's voyages all originated from Ushuaia, Argentina.
Martin Karlsen, the President and owner of Karlsen Shipping Company Limited (KSCL), the firm that operates the tour ship 'Polar Star', was named as Atlantic Canada's 2002 "brightest and boldest" business entrepreneur in the 'business-to-consumer products and services' category at an awards ceremony in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 3 October. Karlsen, who has been KSCL President since 1986, was chosen for "his demonstrated excellence and extraordinary success in areas such as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to his business and his community"
'Polar Star' is the former Swedish Coast Guard vessel 'Njord' and was purchased by KSCL in April 2000 (ANAN-22/01, 24 May 2000). The company carried out extensive modifications on it in the lead up to its first tour operations in the Antarctic Peninsula region in 2001-02 (ANAN-48/05, 6 June 2001). KSCL also operates fishing, rig-tender and other vessels.
'Polar Star' is scheduled to make nine voyages from Ushuaia, Argentina during the 2002-03 austral summer. Seven will be to the Antarctic Peninsula, while the other two are also to include visits to South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. The vessel's tour operations are marketed by Norway-based Polar Star Expeditions, a company that is also owned by Martin Karlsen.
COMING EVENTS RELEVANT TO NON-GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES
[ANAN-84/17]
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 2002
16-28 December (South Geographic Pole)
High Plateau Marathon (see ANAN-79/10, 14 August 2002).
Contact: general@adventure-network.com
YEAR 2003
3 March (King George Island, Antarctica)
Sixth Antarctic Marathon and Half Marathon (see ANAN-68/09, 13 March 2002).
Contact: marathon@shore.net (Thom Gillian).
5-8 May (Seattle, United States).
IAATO year 2003 annual meeting.
Contact: iaato@iaato.org (Denise Landau)(invitation required).
9-20 June (Madrid, Spain)
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting XXVI.
8-11 July (Brest, France)
COMNAP XV (including the sub-committee on Tourism and Non-Government Operations).
Contact: jsayers@comnap.aq (Jack Sayers).
18-20 September 2003 (Cambridge, U.K.)
Conference on the future of South Georgia (see ANAN-77/07, 17 July 2002).
Contact: David.Rootes@polesapart.org or rwburton@ntlworld.com.
24 November (Queen Mary and Dronning Maud Land regions).
Total solar eclipse (See ANAN-79/09,14 August 2002).
YEAR 2004
Sometime around mid-year [Dates to be set] (Christchurch, New Zealand).
IAATO year 2004 annual meeting.
Contact: iaato@iaato.org (Denise Landau)(invitation required).
November-March 2005 (Single-handed Around-the-world via the Southern Ocean)
Vendee Globe 2004 Yacht Race (see ANAN-79/11, 14 August 2002).
November-March 2005 ('Wrong way around' yacht race via the Southern Ocean)
BT Global Challenge Yacht Race.
December-February 2005 (Circumnavigation of Antarctica).
Antarctica Cup yacht race (see ANAN-79/11, 14 August 2002).
YEAR 2005
November-March 2006 (Around-the-world via the Southern Ocean)
Volvo Ocean Yacht Race.
Next edition issued on Wednesday, 6 November 2002 @ 0600 UTC.
Deadline for items: Sunday, 3 November 2002 @ 2359 UTC.
ANTARCTIC NON-GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY NEWS (ANAN)
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.
Links provided in ANAN stories are working at the time of first publication.
AVAILABLE ON LINE TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY:
ANAN archive (including this issue with its built in links):
http://www.antdiv.gov.au/goingsouth/tourism/News/default.asp
Coming events related to non-governmental activity:
http://www.antdiv.gov.au/goingsouth/tourism/Research/BibConf/Confer/default.asp
Links to tourist industry web sites:
http://www.antdiv.gov.au/goingsouth/tourism/Industry/default.asp
EDITOR: Dave Moser (David.Moser@aad.gov.au).
POSTAL: Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia 7050
TELEPHONE: +61-3-6232-3347 (2200-0600 UTC).
FACSIMILE: +61-3-6232-3357.
RESEARCH/WRITING: Martin Betts (Martin.Betts@aad.gov.au)
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FACSIMILE: +61-3-6232-3500.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2002
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