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SCAR Bulletin No 133, April 1999

XXV SCAR Recommendations

Recommendation SCAR XXV–1
Concerning biology of Lake Vostok

Aware of the extensive research already undertaken by remote-sensing techniques to define the spatial parameters of the subglacial Lake Vostok and of the future research being planned;

Noting that Lake Vostok is of considerable microbiological and limnological interest, and that any contamination of the Lake would compromise its scientific value;

Noting further that SCAR will jointly sponsor the proposed Lake Vostok exploration workshop in 1999;

SCAR recommends that National Committees ensure the attendance of members of the Working Group on Biology, and that those members should notify and include the Working Group on Biology in any plans to explore the lake.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–2
Concerning biological prospecting

Recognizing that the Antarctic marine ecosystem has a high biodiversity and is rich in groups of interacting organisms which elsewhere in the world have proved of pharmaceutical value;

Noting the increasing international interest in the world-wide exploitation of biodiversity for chemical compounds of use to mankind, and

Recognizing that the international legislation for controlling access to genetic resources is based on sovereign rights which do not appear to be applicable in the Antarctic Treaty area south of latitude 60° S,

SCAR recommends that National Committees be aware of:

Recommendation SCAR XXV–3
Concerning research on threatened bird species

Recollecting Recommendation XXIV SCAR-Biol 6, concerning threats to Southern Ocean seabirds due to mortality by longline fisheries, and

Noting the major international initiatives that have been developed in the last two years to address these problems,

SCAR recommends that:

  1. National Committees support research and related activities under the forthcoming UN Food and Agriculture Organisations Plan of Action for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries;
  2. National Committees, especially those of countries which are members of the Valdivia Group of Southern Hemisphere nations, support the development of a Range State Agreement for Southern Ocean albatrosses under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention);
  3. National Committees, in order to address the key problems currently impeding the reduction of seabird mortality by longline fisheries, support research and related initiatives for developing and using improved mitigating measures, especially in South American waters where least resources have hitherto been available for such work.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–4
Concerning management plans for protected areas

Considering the need for protection of the Antarctic environment and in furtherance of the stated SCAR objectives of conservation,

SCAR recommends that National Committees forward to XXIII ATCM via their governments the revised management plans for the following existing protected areas:

SSSI No. 8 Western Shore of Admiralty Bay, King George Island, South Shetland Islands

SSSI No. 34 Lions Rump, King George Island, South Shetland Islands.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–5
Concerning planned research cruises

Noting that information on planned research cruises in the CCAMLR region involving harvesting commercial species is reported to CCAMLR in advance,

SCAR requests that the CCAMLR Secretariat copies this information via e-mail to the SCAR Secretariat for incorporation into the planned electronic bulletin board.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–6
Concerning the introduction of non-indigenous species in the Antarctic area

Welcoming current increased concern relating to the introduction of plants and animals in the Antarctic;

Affirming the importance of all National Committees to encourage the strict implementation of the provisions of Annex 2 of the Protocol, and

Recognizing that measures to remove non-indigenous species from the Antarctic area and measures to control the introduction of non-indigenous organisms, especially micro-organisms, into the Antarctic area, could have substantial implications for all logistic and scientific operations in the Antarctic;

SCAR recommends to National Committees and Chief Officers of Working Groups that

  1. they comment on the implications for SCAR of the report of the Australian workshop on the Introduction of Diseases to Antarctic Wildlife (to be circulated as soon as it is available), and
  2. if necessary, they prepare a working paper on these implications for SCAR to submit to the ATCM.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–7
Concerning Antarctic Place-names

Noting that the SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica (CGA):

Considering that, in the interests of both scientific clarity and operational safety, the general principle of 'one name per feature' should apply for all new feature names;

SCAR recommends that National Committees, directly or through their national Antarctic naming authority:

  1. refer to the CGA in considering all proposals for new place names;
  2. avoid adding new place names to features already named;
  3. submit all new approved place names to the WG-GGI for inclusion in the CGA.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–8
Concerning permanent geodetic observatories

Noting the continued success of the GIANT programme and its valuable contribution to the definition of global and regional geodetic reference frames;

Recognizing:

  1. the outstanding work by Japan in establishing on-going VLBI and GPS facilities at Syowa, and the significance of the Chilean VLBI facility at O'Higgins; and
  2. the current difficulties in retrieving data from permanent geodetic observatories;

SCAR encourages:

  1. the relevant National Committees support the on-going operation of the O'Higgins VLBI observatory, to enhance maintenance of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF); and
  2. COMNAP to support the retrieval of GPS data from geodetic observatories by satellite communication, for near-real time use of data by the international geodetic research community.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–9
Concerning bathymetric data

Noting that the lack of bathymetric information in large areas of the Southern Ocean is a limiting factor in bathymetric mapping and nautical charting;

Noting further the key role of the IHO Data Center on Digital Bathymetry (DCDB) located at the US National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) in Boulder, CO, and the efforts of the IOC/IHO organizations for updating and maintaining the General Bathymetric Chart of the Ocean (GEBCO);

Considering the need for bathymetric maps for the morphological interpretation of the sea-floor structure, the geolocation of scientific data, and the general requirements for precise nautical charts to ensure the safety of navigation in Antarctic waters;

SCAR recommends that:

  1. National programmes support the acquisition of echo-sounding data on all vessels operating in Antarctic waters and the delivery of the gathered measurements to the IHO DCDB for further use in bathymetric mapping;
  2. National Operators should plan their vessel transits, wherever possible, through ocean regions to gather additional bathymetric information.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–10
Concerning geological maps of protected areas

Recognizing that the exposed bedrock geology and surficial deposits constitute an integral part of the Antarctic environment; and

Mindful of the need to be able to assess properly the geological significance of any specially protected or specially managed area;

SCAR recommends that National Committees preparing management plans for specially protected or specially managed areas should provide a geological map where appropriate, showing bedrock outcrops and surficial deposits, as an integral part of the proposal.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–11
Concerning air-snow-ice transfer processes

Recognizing that the surface layer of the Antarctic ice sheet contains high resolution records of environment and climate,

Recognizing further that study of these is of direct concern to several of the proposed SCAR global change programmes, and

Aware that in order to understand properly shallow and deep ice core records it is essential to improve understanding of air-snow-ice transfer processes,

SCAR recommends that National Committees support:

  1. The collection of surface data through programmes such as ITASE, and
  2. Major ice-coring initiatives by undertaking studies of
    • near-surface air–snow interchanges, and
    • air–firn-ice exchanges (in cores reaching air-closure depth) at suitable sites.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–12
Concerning ITASE and expedition data sets

Noting the value of data sets collected by expeditions over the last 30 years as a baseline data set for the detection of global change,

SCAR approves the International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expeditions (ITASE) as a joint SCAR and IGBP–PAGES programme, and

Recommends that National Committees support the proposed project on compilation of the existing ITASE data covering the last 200 years.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–13
Concerning the BEDMAP proposal

Noting that numerical ice sheet models with realistically proscribed bedrock elevation and other boundary conditions are required to interpret and predict ice sheet changes; and

Noting further that many National Committees have operated regional, and wider-scale, programmes of measurement of ice sheet thickness and bedrock elevation,

SCAR approves the proposal for an Antarctic bedrock mapping project (BEDMAP) to be sponsored jointly by SCAR, through GLOCHANT-ISMASS and the Working Groups on Glaciology and on Geodesy and Geographic Information, and by the European Science Foundation (ESF), through the European Ice Sheet Modelling Initiative (EISMINT), and

Recommends that National Committees urge national operators to recover and collate historic measurements of ice sheet thickness, and contribute these to the co-ordinated data compilation and bedrock mapping project, BEDMAP, which will update the existing SPRI bedrock data set.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–14
Concerning health promotion

Recognizing the strong links between human biological research, both basic and applied, and operations medicine,

Noting that human biological studies often overlie both the basic and operational medicine domains without either area providing funding,

SCAR advises National Committees that there is a critical need for funding in basic and applied human biomedical research and, furthermore,

SCAR encourages COMNAP to take advantage of the opportunities to support research in health promotion, ergonomics, nutrition, clothing, personnel screening and preventive, occupational and environmental medicine.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–15
Concerning Antarctic accidents

Noting the recurrence of Antarctic accidents,

Recognizing the logistic and economic impact of accidents on research and operational programmes, the relationship between accidents, health and the occupational environment, and the increasing application of national statutes to all environments under their jurisdiction with resultant litigation and/or compensation, and

Noting with concern the critical nature of this situation;

SCAR advises National Committees of the need for research and analysis of accidents in the Antarctic with such studies drawing upon principles now followed in home countries and utilizing systematic debriefing for accident investigation and assessing to what extent selection and training procedures may apply and what preventive practices should be implemented, and

SCAR recommends to COMNAP that use be made of the substantial expertise of the Working Group on Human Biology and Medicine in this area.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–16
Concerning meteorological data from Automatic Geophysical Observatories (AGOs)

Recognizing that:

SCAR recommends to National Committees that meteorological data from AGOs should be inserted into the WMO GTS at least twice every 24 hours (at 00 GMT and 12 GMT)

Recommendation SCAR XXV–17
Concerning the International Programme for Antarctic Buoys (IPAB)

Recognizing that:

SCAR encourages National Committees to continue their support for the International Programme for Antarctic Buoys (IPAB).

Recommendation SCAR XXV–18
Concerning solar spectrophotometers

Noting the importance of radiative properties of the atmosphere for studies of Antarctic climate and climate change

Noting further that Italy, United States, Germany, Japan and Australia already make such observations;

SCAR recommends to National Committees that a network of solar spectrophotometers be established, aimed at collecting data on radiative properties at high southern latitudes. Such data would be of value in modelling investigations, studies of volcanic effects, and aerosol investigations.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–19
Concerning rationalization of scientific activities on King George Island

Aware of the on-going debate on scientific activities that are currently underway on King George Island;

Appreciating that national programmes should maintain their own priorities; and

Noting the belief of the Working Group on Physics and Chemistry of the Atmosphere that some rationalization would free resources for new scientific projects;

SCAR recommends that the relevant National Committees should make efforts to optimize scientific objectives and to collaborate with other nations.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–20
Concerning an International Symposium on Operational Weather Forecasting

Noting that an International Symposium on Operational Weather Forecasting in Antarctica to be held in Hobart, Australia, 31 August to 3 September 1998, immediately prior to the 7th session of the WMO WG on Antarctic Meteorology, also to be held in Hobart;

SCAR recommends that all nations with an interest in operational weather forecasting in the Antarctic send representatives to this meeting. Publication of an international forecasting handbook will come out of this meeting.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–21
Concerning management plans for the Dry Valleys

Recognizing the unique nature of the Dry Valleys in Antarctica, particularly in Victoria Land;

Aware that the scientific value of these area may easily be jeopardized;

SCAR encourages the relevant National Committees to develop management plans for the Dry Valleys as appropriate.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–22
Concerning National Antarctic Data Centres

Recognizing the importance for the international Antarctic science community to be aware of the existence and whereabouts of Antarctic datasets;

Noting that the Antarctic Master Directory will accomplish this function through liaison with National Antarctic Data Centres;

SCAR recommends to National Committees and COMNAP that countries that have yet to establish an NADC do so in the immediate future.

Recommendation SCAR XXV–23
Concerning metadata records

Recognizing that the generation of metadata records are key components of national science programmes;

Recognizing also that the creation of metadata records requires an appropriate level of resourcing for science projects as well as NADCs;

SCAR recommends

Recommendation SCAR XXV–24
Concerning funding of the Antarctic Data Directory System (ADDS)

Recognizing the importance for Antarctic research of a comprehensive ADDS,

SCAR recommends to COMNAP that the funding for the support of the ADDS should be broadened beyond the four nations currently involved by the introduction of an annual levy on all COMNAP members in the year 2000 and beyond.