Measures Approved or Recommended Under Article IX in Furtherance of Principles and Objectives of the Antarctic Treaty, Tokyo, 1970

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[CERTAIN RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SIXTH ANTARCTIC TREATY CONSULTATIVE MEETING]

The Representatives,

Considering that:

(1) an Antarctic telecommunications system serves the administrative, operational, meteorological and other scientific needs of stations in the Antarctic;

(2) there is a need to exchange meteorological information as soon as possible within the Antarctic Treaty area and to transmit that information with minimum delay to the Global Telecommunications System;

(3) there is a need to organize technically compatible routes for telecommunications both within, and out of the Antarctic Treaty area;

(4) an Antarctic telecommunications system needs to respond, as may be appropriate, to future changes in requirements for transmission of meteorological information and advances in telecommunications technology;

Recommend to their Governments that:

1. They adopt as guide-lines the Proposals contained in the Final Report of the Second Antarctic Treaty Meeting on Telecommunications held in Buenos Aires in 1969;

2. In the plans for their expeditions they provide the organizational and technical arrangements necessary to implement these Proposals as soon as, and as far as practicable.

The Representatives,

Considering that:

(1) there is a need to continue the annual exchange of information on telecommunications facilities;

(2) this information should be made as useful as possible to radio operators at all stations in the Antarctic;

(3) there is a need for a procedure for exchanging views on other matters pertinent to their respective telecommunications systems, but not affecting all Parties;

Recommend to their Governments that:

1. Information on telecommunications facilities be exchanged annually, under paragraph 5 of Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty and Recommendation I-VI(8), in accordance with the standard tabular format annexed hereto;

2. Information on telecommunications facilities be exchanged not later than 31 October of each year in accordance with Recommendation IV-23;

3. They authorize the addressees entered by each Consultative Party on the annexed standard tabular format also to correspond with other addressees on matters affecting their respective telecommunications systems, on the use of those systems and on the coordination of communications necessary for cooperative activities.

The Representatives,

Considering that:

(1) the exchange of scientific observations is provided by paragraph 1(c) of Article III of the Antarctic Treaty;

(2) meteorological information for flight, marine and field operational forecasts is an important requirement at some stations in the Antarctic;

(3) Antarctic meteorological information is required by adjacent continents for the preparation of weather analyses and prognoses;

(4) meteorological activities in the Antarctic should be supported, to the greatest extent feasible, by transmissions of processed data to the Antarctic from the World Weather Watch;

(5) the requirements of the Consultative Parties for meteorological information will change as the operational activities and the scientific programmes of their Antarctic stations evolve;

(6) the requirements of the Consultative Parties for meteorological information will change as knowledge and understanding of the meteorology of the Antarctic Treaty area grow and with developments in meteorological technology;

Recommend to their Governments that:

1. They adopt Annex 1 to this Recommendation as a current basis for planning the exchange of available raw meteorological data;

2. They adopt Annex 2 to this Recommendation as a current basis for planning the exchange of available processed meteorological data;

3. They support, as far as practicable, such measures as will facilitate the speedy and effective implementation of Annexes 1 and 2 as a basis for planning;

4. They invite the World Meteorological Organization to review Annexes 1 and 2 from time to time and advise them of the results of such reviews.

KEY:

As available X = When requested M = Monthly

NOTES:

(1) Analyses only

(3) Alternatively from Molodezhnaya or McMurdo

(4) For area between long. 90°E and long. 180° (by facsimile). Also special forecasts on request.

(5) Numerical analyses and prognoses (not used)

(6) Operational forecasts and facsimile broadcast from Canberra (AXM) (7) For selected New Zealand aerodromes

(8) Alternatively from Brasilia

(10) During Austral summer (1 October-31 March)

(11) Monthly mean data required for Mawson, Molodezhnaya, Roi Baudouin, Novolazarevskaya and Sanae from either Molodezhnaya or Mawson

(12) Forecasts for aviation and shipping as necessary during Austral summer (1 October-31 March)

(13) Analyses and marine forecasts

(14) Hazardous weather warnings (general) (15) Molodezhnaya will take over the functions of Mirny from about March 1971

The Representatives,

Considering and Recognizing that:

(1) in the Antarctic Treaty area the ecosystem is particularly vulnerable to human interference;

(2) the Antarctic derives much of its scientific importance from its uncontaminated and undisturbed condition;

(3) there is an increasingly urgent need to protect the environment from human interference;

(4) the Consultative Parties should assume responsibility for the protection of the environment and the wise use of the Treaty area;

Recommend to their Governments that:

1. They invite the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research through their National Antarctic Committees:

(a) to identify the types and assess the extent of human interference which has occurred in the Treaty area as a result of man's activities;

(b) to propose measures which might be taken to minimize harmful interference;

(c) to consider and recommend scientific programmes which will detect and measure changes occurring in the Antarctic environment;

2. They encourage research on the impact of man on the Antarctic ecosystem;

3. They take interim measures to reduce known causes of harmful environmental interference;

4. They consider including on the agenda for the Seventh Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting an examination of this matter in the light of any further available information.

The Representatives,

Recognizing:

(1) the need to minimise harmful disturbance to the Antarctic environment;

(2) that the uncontrolled use of radio-isotopes in the course of scientific investigations may jeopardise the conduct of subsequent investigations;

Recommend to their Governments that through their National Antarctic Committees, they invite the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research to consider the uses of radio-isotopes in Antarctic scientific investigations and to propose comprehensive principles for their control which can be considered under Article IX of the Antarctic Treaty.

The Representatives,

Recognizing that experiments involving the use of radio-isotopes may jeopardize subsequent scientific investigations in the same locality;

Considering that:

(1) prior notification of the use of radio-isotopes is necessary to allow time for consultations between Consultative Parties whose investigators may wish to carry out experiments in the same locality at a later date;

(2) interim measures are required before agreement is reached on the controlled use of radio-isotopes in the Antarctic Treaty area;

Recommend to their Governments that, when experiments involving the use of radio-isotopes in the Antarctic Treaty area are planned, they should provide appropriate information on such experiments to other Consultative Parties as early as possible, preferably six months in advance, but in any event annually.

The Representatives,

Noting the increase in recent years in the number of tourists and also in the number of visitors who are not sponsored by the Consultative Parties to the Antarctic Treaty area;

Considering that the activities of such visitors can have lasting and harmful effects on scientific programmes, on the Antarctic environment, particularly in Specially Protected Areas, and on historic monuments;

Desiring to ensure that such visitors are afforded the best view of stations in the Antarctic compatible with the research programmes being undertaken;

Recalling paragraph 5 of Article VII and Article X of the Antarctic Treaty and Recommendations I-VI and IV-27;

Recommend to their Governments that:

1. They should exert appropriate efforts to ensure that all tourists and other visitors do not engage in any activity in the Treaty area which is contrary to the principles and purposes of the Antarctic Treaty or Recommendations made under it;

2. They should inform, in so far as they are able, those responsible for expeditions to the Treaty area which are not organized by a Consultative Party but organized in, proceeding from, or calling at, their territory, of the following:

(a) that final arrangements to visit any station be made with that station between twenty four and seventy two hours in advance of the expected time of arrival;

(b) that all tourists and other visitors comply with any conditions or restrictions on their movements which the station commander may stipulate for their safety or to safeguard scientific programmes being undertaken at or near the station;

(c) that visitors must not enter Specially Protected Areas and must respect designated historic monuments;

3. Advance notice of all expeditions to the Treaty area not organized by a Consultative Party, but organized in, proceeding from or calling at that Party's territory, shall be given, in so far as is possible, to the other Consultative Parties. Such notice shall include the relevant information listed in Recommendation I-VI;

4. Until such time as this Recommendation becomes effective in accordance with Article IX of the Antarctic Treaty, it shall be considered, as far as feasible, as a guide-line.

The Representatives,

Recognizing the special scientific interest of new islands formed by geological processes in the Antarctic;

Recalling that the investigation of the colonization of an uncontaminated area by animals and plants can easily be spoiled by the presence of man;

Recommend to their Governments:

1. That any new island formed by geological processes in the Antarctic Treaty area should be the subject of immediate consultation through diplomatic channels with a view to its consideration at the next Consultative Meeting in order to accord it special protection. Until this can be done, they should use their best endeavors to avoid its contamination by human interference;

2. That they should use their best endeavors to prevent tourists from landing on such islands.

The Representatives,

Considering that:

(1) in recent years a number of countries have launched scientific research rockets (sounding rockets) from the Antarctic Treaty area and that the number of such launchings is expected to increase along with the scale and importance of scientific research activities in the Antarctic;

(2) it will be necessary to adopt adequate safety measures to prevent possible damage or injury to persons, fauna and flora, facilities, vessels and aircraft in the Antarctic Treaty area and in adjacent areas which might result from the launching of rockets from the Treaty area or from their residual elements;

Recommend to their Governments that:

1. Each Government which plans to launch rockets from the Antarctic Treaty area include in its annual exchange of information under paragraph 5 of Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty details of each planned launching, including inter alia the following information:

(a) the geographical co-ordinates of the place of launching;

(b) the time and date of launching or, alternatively, the approximate period of time during which it is planned to carry out the launchings;

(c) the direction of launching;

(d) the planned maximum altitude;

(e) the planned impact area;

(f) the type and other specifications of the rockets to be launched, including possible residual hazards;

(g) the purpose and research programme of the rocket.

2. During summer operations, and at other times when there are operations in its area, each station use its radio facilities to keep neighbouring stations informed, on a daily basis as appropriate, of its launching schedules.

The Representatives,

Noting the growing importance of oceanographic research and the increasing activities of ships conducting scientific programmes in the Southern Ocean area;

Noting, in particular, the interest of the Consultative Parties in the Southern Ocean as set forth in Recommendation V-3;

Bearing in mind that Recommendation I-VI includes provision for exchange of information regarding scientific investigation and areas of operation;

Considering that uniformity in the type and amount of data exchanged on ships and their scientific programmes will greatly enhance the usefulness of this information;

Recommend to their Governments that in exchanging information annually, in accordance with Recommendation I-VI (1), (2), (4), (6), (7) and Recommendation II-VI, they include information about those ships which are carrying out substantial oceanographic research programmes in the area south of 60° South Latitude.

The Representatives,

Recalling Recommendations I-IX and V-4;

Recommend to their Governments that:

1. They adopt all adequate measures to preserve and protect from damage the historic monuments situated in the Antarctic Treaty area;

2. They arrange for each of these historic monuments to be appropriately marked with a notice indicating in the English, French, Russian and Spanish languages that it is scheduled for preservation in accordance with the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty;

3. A list of historic monuments be prepared by consultation through diplomatic channels for consideration at the Seventh Consultative Meeting.

The Representatives,

Recommend to their Governments that they accept the offer by the Delegation of New Zealand to hold the Seventh Consultative Meeting under Article IX of the Antarctic Treaty in Wellington, on a date in 1972 to be mutually decided upon by the Consultative Governments.

[APPENDIX]

The Representatives,

Recalling Article VIII of the Agreed Measures for the Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora annexed to Recommendation III-VIII (‘the Agreed Measures’) and the need to conform with paragraph 4(a) of that Article;

Considering that, in order to be effective, the existing prohibitions and measures of protection relating to Specially Protected Areas need to be strengthened;

Recommend to their Governments that:

1. They use their best endeavours to ensure compliance with these provisions of the Agreed Measures which relate to Specially Protected Areas;

2. They take such action as may be appropriate to prohibit the entry by their nationals into a Specially Protected Area, except in accordance with a permit issued under Articles VI and VIII of the Agreed Measures;

3. Until such time as this Recommendation may become effective in accordance with Article IX of the Antarctic Treaty, it shall, as far as feasible, be considered as a guide-line.

The Representatives,

Recalling Recommendations III-X and IV-19;

(1) information is already being exchanged in accordance with the interim guide-lines contained in Recommendation IV-20;

(2) this information may be freely published and it is desirable that it should be amalgamated in the form most useful for scientific analysis;

Recommend to their Governments that:

1. They transmit the information exchanged under Recommendation IV-19 to their National Antarctic Committees;

2. They invite the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, through their National Committees, to assemble the information exchanged under Article XII of the Agreed Measures for the Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora, to arrange for its publication and, in accordance with Recommendation IV-19, to prepare reports from time to time on the status of species.

The Representatives,

Considering that Coppermine Peninsula is a biologically diverse area, supporting rich vegetation, together with a variety of terrestrial fauna, and that the ecosystem, which includes a rich avifauna, is of outstanding scientific interest;

Recommend to their Governments that the following be included in Annex B, Specially Protected Areas, of the Agreed Measures for the Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora;

SPECIALLY PROTECTED AREA NO. 16