Chapter V — International 



and aircraft at points of discharging or embarking 

 cargoes or personnel in Antarctica, shall be open at all 

 times to inspection by observers designated by any 

 treaty party. Since the treaty entered into force in 

 1961, the United States has periodically inspected 

 research stations and support facilities of other nations 

 in Antarctica. In 1995 the United States carried out 

 inspections of eight stations: Dumont d'Urville 

 (France), Mirniy (Russia), Davis (Australia), Zhong- 

 shan (China), Syowa (Japan), Newmeyer (Germany), 

 Signey (United Kingdom), and Orcadas (Argentina). 



A draft report on the findings of the U.S. inspec- 

 tions was presented at the XlXth Consultative Meet- 

 ing. Argentina tabled a report on inspections of three 

 stations — King Sejong (Republic of Korea), Rothera 

 (United Kingdom), and Signey (United Kingdom) — 

 that it had carried out between December 1994 and 

 March 1995. No violations of the Antarctic Treaty 

 were observed during these inspections. The U.S. 

 inspection team noted that some fuel storage facilities 

 and transfer practices posed threats to the environ- 

 ment. The United States proposed and the parties 

 agreed that the Council of Managers of National 

 Antarctic Programs should be asked to identify steps 

 that might be taken to improve fuel storage and 

 handling and that this item should be included on the 

 agenda for the next consultative meeting. 



On a related matter, the Australian delegation 

 tabled a paper expressing concern about the introduc- 

 tion and presence of non-native species of animals and 

 plants at and near some stations in Antarctica. Such 

 introductions could compete with and introduce exotic 

 diseases to native plants and animals, including marine 

 mammals. For this reason, most introductions would 

 be prohibited by Article 4 of Annex II of the Protocol 

 on Environmental Protection. 



The meeting recommended that parties (1) examine 

 their facilities in Antarctica to identify any non-native 

 species present in or in the vicinity of the facilities, 

 (2) remove any non-native species found unless they 

 are present in accordance with an appropriate permit, 

 and (3) take such other action as necessary to prevent 

 the introduction of non-native species of animals and 

 plants into Antarctica. 



Antarctic Treaty Secretariat — Antarctic Treaty 

 Consultative Meetings are organized and hosted by the 

 consultative parties on a rotating basis. Information 

 concerning member states' activities in Antarctica is 

 shared through an annual information exchange. The 

 number of treaty parties and the level of international 

 interest in Antarctica have both increased substantially 

 since the treaty was concluded in 1959. 



Organization of consultative meetings, exchange of 

 information, and implementation of the Protocol on 

 Environmental Protection all could be enhanced by 

 establishment of a permanent secretariat. As noted in 

 the Commission's previous annual report, agreement 

 was reached in principle at the XVIIth Consultative 

 Meeting on the need for and the general functions of 

 a small secretariat. The matter was discussed further 

 at the XVIIIth and XlXth Consultative Meetings. 



Although the need for a permanent secretariat is 

 widely recognized, it has not been possible to reach 

 consensus on where it should be located, how it 

 should be funded and staffed, or what legal status it 

 should be afforded. The principal impediment has 

 been the inability of Argentina and the United King- 

 dom to agree on where the secretariat should be 

 located. The matter will be considered again at the 

 1996 Consultative Meeting. 



Activities Related to Marine Living Resources 



Several countries began experimental fisheries for 

 krill and finfish in the Southern Ocean in the 1960s. 

 As noted in previous Commission annual reports, 

 concerns that those fisheries, particularly the krill 

 fishery, could adversely affect seals, whales, and 

 other non-target species, as well as target species, led 

 the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties to negotiate 

 and adopt the Convention on the Conservation of 

 Antarctic Marine Living Resources. 



The Convention was concluded in May 1980 and 

 entered into force in April 1982. Among other 

 things, it established the Commission and the Scientif- 

 ic Committee for the Conservation of Antarctic 

 Marine Living Resources. The Commission and 

 Scientific Committee meet annually. The Marine 

 Mammal Commission's involvement in negotiating the 

 Convention and its participation in the first 13 meet- 



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