Desarrollo de la Antártica

Tore Gjelsvik / TRI: WORK OY SCAR FOR CONSERVATlON Oy NATURE ••• are convÍnced that the time has come to take positive steps towards the protection and preservatíon of Antarctic wild life", and "it is our firm convictÍon that ~he sever,d nations supporting Antarctic stations should take joint steps to ensure the preservation of tihe Antarctic flora and fauna and its protec.tion from needless persecution and destruction; and further, that lhe proper agency to co-ordinate such steps is the Special Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) ". The 1960 SCAR general meeting in Cambridge established a Working Group on Biology, ,,,hien produced a report on the oonservation question and recommer,ded that the report be revíewed by the National Antarctic Commiuees and the executive of SCAR hefore the end of 1960, to finally be submitted by National Com– mittees to appropriate government representatives in time for consíderation at a Treaty consultative meeting in the surnmer of 1961. 'Perhaps ir may be useful at thjs stage to underline that there is no direct Hne of communication between SCAR and the Treaty system, the link is froro SCAR througn its national committees, and from them to their respective gov..:::rnment5. In the other direction, rhe wmmunication from Consultative meetings have to go throug'h governments, which eventually will pass on to the national com– mittees any request or invitatíon to SCAR. This may seem to be a bureaucratic and slo'W system, but it works rather well provided the SGAR and Treaty meetings are adeqllately spaced in relation to each other. SCAR acted according to the advice of the Working Group of Biology, and urged that the parties to the Treaty should draft alPplicable regulations. At the first u>f1sultative meeting in 1961, the proposal of SCAR was discussed and ir was recommended that as an interim measure rules of conduct should be issued in accordance wit:h principIes suggested by the warking gr.oup. After having sought more advice from SCAR, the nations at the III Consultative Meeting of the Antarctic Treaty, in Brussels 1964, adopted t'he Agreed Measures for the 'Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora. Tlhe Agreed Measures applied to the land area south of 60 0 S Latitude, induding ice shelves. The main features of the iMeasures were: Oonservation of native fauna, by prdhibiting all killing and other specified actívities, except in accordance with a permito iPermits shall only be issued for compdling scÍentillic purpo!¡ICS or to provide indispensable food for dogs or men in the Treaty area. Minimiztng haTmful interfen:;ncr., such as disturbance of seal and