MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Accidents and impacts management in Antarctic waters

“Accidents can always happen”, said Dr. Sapag

Accidents can always happen but the target is to minimize impacts and advance contingency plans for such situations in the framework of the Antarctic Treaty, said Chile's Dr. Alvaro Sapag, chairman of the Chilean Environment Commission during a meeting on the Antarctic environment held in Punta Arenas.

Accidents such as the recent sinking of the Explorer in Antarctic waters "can always happen" said Sapag at the meeting of the Antarctic territory impact assessment national commission which twice a year gathers in Punta Areas seat of Chile's Antarctic Institute, "but our aim must be to minimize impacts". "The environmental emergency following the accident and sinking of the Explorer was managed in the best possible way, based on available resources and equipments in Chile. We are grateful to Argentina's cooperation during the whole incident, and I imagine the same would happen with other countries if any accident occurs any where else in the Antarctic territory", added Sapag. "We reacted as was expected from us and we're doing the follow up of what was left. If we keep at this pace we should be able to overcome the contingency very soon and with no major drawbacks", underlined the Chilean official. "I believe there's an overall awareness of Antarctica's environmental fragility and approval of what we have been tasked to address, which is very interesting", said Sapaag on addressing the opening of the session. The Antarctic impact commission is made up with representatives from Chile's Antarctic Institute, Air Force, Navy, Army Antarctic Department, Meteorology Department, Antarctic Environment Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is tasked with ensuring that all Antarctic activities comply with environment regulations in the framework of the Antarctic Treaty and others signed by Chile. The agenda for the meeting included scientific research programs from several Chilean universities, biodiversity and climate change programs coordinated by the Antarctic institute plus organizing an awareness campaign with the voluntary participation of Chilean artists and media figures. "We want to improve our communication with the people and particularly with the younger generations", said Sapag. The Antarctic impact assessment commission has been meeting in Punta Arenas since it moved from Santiago in 2003 and has since approved 65 Antarctic activities projects: 13% on tourism; 37% scientific research and the rest infrastructure and capital investments.