Skip navigation


You are in:  Home » Publications » Bulletins » Bulletin 137

SCAR Bulletin No 137, April 2000

Joint Meeting of the SCAR and COMNAP Executive Committees
Goa, India, 21 and 23 September 1999

Present

SCAR: R H Rutford, A C Rocha-Campos, F J Davey, J Valencia, A D M Walker, R Schlich, P D Clarkson

COMNAP: G M Wratt, P Eberhard, D van Schalkwyk, J C A Sayers

1. Chair's Introduction

According to the established practice of rotation, Ms Gillian Wratt, the Chair of COMNAP, chaired this joint meeting.

1.1 COMNAP Meeting up-date

Ms Wratt gave a brief overview of developments to date in the COMNAP meeting.

1.2 SCAR Meeting up-date

Dr Robert Rutford, President of SCAR, spoke briefly on the report of the first meeting of the ad hoc Group on SCAR Organization and Strategy, explaining that it had examined process rather than substance.

2. ATCM Open Ended Discussion Groups

2.1 State of the Antarctic Environment Report

Dr Rutford outlined the SCAR proposal to hold a half-day workshop during the first week of XXV SCAR in Tokyo, probably on Wednesday afternoon. This would be a scoping exercise to develop a Working Paper for the following ATCM. It was recognized that there could be considerable interest in this workshop among COMNAP representatives. It was suggested that, to facilitate attendance by COMNAP, it might be advantageous to coordinate the scheduling of the workshop with the SCALOP Symposium. The Executive Secretaries were ask to maintain contact concerning these arrangements.

2.2 Liability Definitions

COMNAP is proposing a task group to plan a strategy for responding to XXIII ATCM Resolution 5 (1999) and it was suggested that it should comprise three members from each of SCAR and COMNAP, that will work electronically. After further discussion it was agreed that the membership would be: from SCAR: R H Rutford, A C Rocha-Campos, J Valencia; from COMNAP: E Chiang, H Gernandt, A Modig.

2.3 Handbook Environmental Monitoring Techniques

Most participants at the meeting had attended the presentation of the progress report on the handbook by Dr M C Kennicutt who is undertaking publication on behalf of COMNAP. As COMNAP is now the lead organization on this, COMNAP will report on progress to XXIV ATCM. Dr Walton is the SCAR contact for reviewing the draft and he will be consulting with others inside SCAR.

2.4 Diseases of Antarctic Wildlife

A photocopy of a report on the workshop of this title that was held in Australia during August 1998 was tabled. SCAR and COMNAP have been asked to comment on the workshop report and to report to the third meeting of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP III). SCAR will circulate the report for comment when a copy or copies have been received formally and will respond to Australia and prepare a paper for the next ATCM.

2.5 Information Exchange

COMNAP reported that Mr G Guthridge (United States) is now the convenor of the information network "INFONET". One of its tasks will be to develop a format for electronic reporting within COMNAP. It was suggested that Dr Clarkson should be included in this network to explore ways in which the SCAR annual information might be incorporated; Mr Sayers is the COMNAP contact point. Dr Rutford noted that the United States Annual Report to SCAR was posted on the World Wide Web and was in a format that could be used by other SCAR Members. He felt that a single report with cross-referencing would be a useful development.

3. Antarctic Master Directory (AMD)

Mr E Chiang, Chairman of the Steering Committee for the Antarctic Master Directory (SC-AMD), was invited to present the current status of the AMD to the Executive Committees. He reviewed the SC meeting held in Lima, Peru, during XXIII ATCM, and referred to the proposals in the document by Mr M Thorley. He said that the SC will have to consider if further financial support for the AMD will be forthcoming to the end of June 2000 and, if so, which tasks should be undertaken. The Steering Committee will meet in Goa on 22 September 1999 and Dr Davey will represent SCAR.

Following the meeting of the Steering Committee, the SCAR Executive Committee proposed that a questionnaire should be sent to SCAR National Committees and Chief Officers, and to COMNAP, to ascertain the requirements of the scientific community for an Antarctic data directory.

4. Facilitating International Science Projects

4.1 Forward International Science Plan and Priorities

Dr Rutford described the process of developing scientific programmes through SCAR. From this description, it was difficult to see how SCAR will know better than or earlier than national managers of forthcoming programmes, except in cases where SCAR is providing a forward look in major international programmes.

4.2 SCAR/COMNAP Consultation Mechanisms

It was suggested that SCAR and COMNAP should have a joint discussion forum on science plans to be held on Saturday morning at the end of the first week of XXVI SCAR. There should be two persons from each SCAR Working Group and/or Group of Specialists. Dr Rutford suggested that an exchange of agendas between SCAR and COMNAP groups would be useful step by informing both groups of the topics that will be discussed, and to enhance communication between them. The Executive Secretaries were asked to coordinate the necessary arrangements.

5. Lake Vostok

5.1 Cambridge Workshop

Dr Rutford gave a brief description of the workshop to be held in Cambridge, United Kingdom, 26–28 September 1999. A copy of the structure for the workshop and the list of invitees was tabled. The anticipated output from the workshop is a preliminary science plan for the investigation of sub-glacial lakes in the Antarctic.

5.2 Potential Future Workshops

Dr Rutford envisaged that there will undoubtedly be a workshop on drilling technology and another on the logistics of the project. There would most likely be at least one more scientific workshop.

6. SCAR/COMNAP Interaction

6.1 Overlap between COMNAP and SCAR Biennial Meeting

6.2 Joint SCAR/COMNAP Executive Meetings

This item and both the sub-items were subsumed in the discussions of agenda item 4.

7. Next Joint Executive Meeting

It was agreed that the Executive Secretaries should liaise concerning the schedule for a Joint Meeting at XXVI SCAR / COMNAP XII in Tokyo, Japan, during July 2000.

8. Close

The Executive Committees met jointly on 21 September 1999, 1600–1800 and on 23 September 1999, 0900–1000.