Desarrollo de la Antártica

EL DESARROLLO DE LA ANTÁRTICA a conference of 60 scientists repr~senting most of the nations which are carrying out scientific and teCimical investigations oÍ the krill– and fish stocks of the Southern Occan. After !having reviewed the availa'ble information, the Grou;p of Specialists produced a plan for an intergrated hiological investigation of marine Antarctic systems and stocks (moMAss), the O'bjectives of which are: To provide data and infonnation for the cO'nservation and wise management oí the living resources of me Southern Ocean, and tO' improve the understanding of Lhe complex ecosystem on which the resources depend... This proposal will be published shortly by SCAR and seOR and will be submíttcd to the 1977 Antarctic Treaty Consultative meeting and to IOC. At the XIV SCAR in Mendoza, the delegates adopted in principIe the BIOMASS proposal. Such a large enterprise, involving many ships and nations over many years, needs careful and extensive planning, preparation and funding, and wi1l possibly not develop into a major collabO'rating investigation before 1'980~8'1. The realizatÍon of the BIOMASS plan depends on the willingness of the great fishing nations tO' devO'te the necessary funds for the scientific programmes, and to coordinate their efforts. Hopefully these nations have learned the lesson oí t1he overexploitation úf the whale stocks in the iAntarctic waters, and will be willing to develop the necessary measures for control of the fishing, taking into consideration the need for conserv– ation of rhe resources as well as for the preservation of the ecosystem of the Southern Ocean. There have been differences among the parties to the Antarctic Treaty as to the urgency for measures to control po'Ssible exploitation of the mineral resources. There sbould be no reas<>n for discussing the urgency for measures for the prO'tectiO'n O'f the living resources in Antarctica. If that explO'itatiO'n is notalready started, it is nO't far away. As fO'r SCAR, it is ready tO' help in tbe develúpment of the needed measures, but 1 cannot tO'o strong!y emphasize that SCAR dO'es not take O'n any ¡political responsibilities. This is a matter for tne Ant– arctic Treaty gO'vernments. 884