Treaty Parties to Governments for development of draft 

 management plans that could be examined to further evaluate 

 the potential utility of the multiple-use concept. The Working 

 Group was particularly concerned that SCAR National Committees 

 use their best efforts to ensure the preparation of draft 

 management plans for a number of areas that could be provided, 

 for illustrative purposes, to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative 

 Parties in advance of their XVth meeting to be held in the 

 late summer or fall of 1989. 



The area around the U.S. Palmer Station on Anvers Island 

 was identified by SCAR and the Antarctic Treaty Consultative 

 Parties as one of the areas where multiple-use conflicts were 

 beginning to occur and which therefore could be used to evaluate 

 the potential value of the proposed new category of Antarctic 

 Protected Area. To help evaluate this potential, the Marine 

 Mammal Commission, as described in Chapter XI, funded a workshop 

 to describe the scientific value of the Palmer area, to identify 

 sites in the area reguiring special protection, and to identify 

 other possible management needs. The workshop was held on 

 3-4 November 1988 in Santa Barbara, California. The workshop 

 report will be provided to the National Science Foundation 

 and the Department of State to serve as the basis for developing 

 a management plan which will ensure the conservation of marine 

 mammals and their habitat in, and the unigue scientific value 

 of, the area around Palmer Station. A proposed management 

 plan is expected to be completed in time to be distributed at 

 the May 1989 Preparatory Meeting for the XVth Antarctic Treaty 

 Consultative Meeting. 



The SCAR Working Group on Biology also sponsored a 

 Symposium on the Conservation of Antarctic Ecosystems, which 

 was held 28 August-3 September in Hobart, Australia. A member 

 of the Commission staff presented a keynote paper on "New 

 Directions for Biology in the Study and Conservation of 

 Antarctic Ecosystems" at the Symposium. The paper, available 

 from the Commission, describes the use of monitoring concepts 

 -- i.e. , the collection of long time-series of data for specific 

 purposes — in basic and applied research programs for the 

 purpose of understanding and determining the effects of human 

 activities on the environment in and outside the Antarctic. 



The Marine Mammal Commission believes that SCAR plays a 

 critical role in planning and coordinating research programs 

 in the Antarctic and is essential to the effective operation 

 of the Antarctic Treaty system. Through the Polar Research 

 Board, the Commission will continue to provide whatever 

 assistance possible to facilitate SCAR's work. 



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