Deputy Minister Kim Traavik, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Antarctic Treaty Meeting of Experts on Tourism and Non-governmental Activities in Antarctica

Tromsø, 22. mars 2004

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Your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me, on behalf of the Norwegian Government, to welcome you all to Norway and to this meeting of experts on tourism and non-governmental activities in Antarctica.

The Antarctic Treaty is a well-crafted compromise, and has so far been one of the major successes of international diplomacy. It helped to transform the uncertainty and potential conflict of the late 1950s into peaceful co-operation and stability. By adopting the Treaty, the Antarctic States took upon themselves a responsibility for the future development of the Antarctic. We as a group can be rightfully proud of our achievements throughout this period.

The development of Antarctic tourism is a new challenge for co-operation under the Treaty. Scientists are no longer alone on this distant continent. The rapid increase in Antarctic tourism raises many questions regarding protection of the fragile environment, safety, disturbance of scientific research and also questions relating to more basic legal principles.

In 1975, Norway’s foreign minister at the time, Mr Knut Frydenlund, addressed the original 12 consultative parties at the eighth ATCM in Oslo, and said,

"The Treaty has up to now served us well. It is our duty to see to it that it will continue to do so. But this is not an automatic process. If the Treaty shall remain a useful instrument, we must analyse future trends, be flexible in our approaches and continue to co-operate in a positive spirit. In order to succeed we may in fact have to develop new concepts for international co-operation."

This is still true. We must continue our close co-operation, and we must be creative. Tourism is now at the top of our common Antarctic political agenda. This meeting gives us an opportunity to draw on the experience of ranking professionals and experts in the Antarctic treaty system.

The establishment of the new permanent Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty in Buenos Aires is a great step forward for international co-operation on Antarctic issues. Norway will give its full support to the work of the Secretariat. The names of the candidates for the position of executive secretary to the Secretariat have recently been circulated and I am sure you all know by now that the director of the Norwegian Polar Institute, Professor Olav Orheim, is the official Norwegian candidate.

As many of you know, Norway’s involvement in the Antarctic goes back to the exploration of the Antarctic continent in the late 19 ^th> century. The Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his men achieved world-wide fame for being the first people to reach the South Pole, in 1911.

Today, the Nordic co-operation in Antarctic research is especially important to Norway. From 2005 our own research station, the Troll station, will be used for year-round research. A new runway is to be built on the blue ice. A regular air service from Cape Town to Dronning Maud Land is being developed for the national research programmes of eleven nations.

Norway has until recently been a relatively small player in Antarctic tourism. Every now and then a Norwegian adventurer has headed for the South Pole or an Antarctic mountain peak, inspired by the adventures of the polar explorers of the past.

But this has changed dramatically in the last couple of years. Today, approximately 20 per cent of all passengers who go ashore from cruise vessels in Antarctica are travelling with Norwegian tour operators.

Because of these developments, Norway feels a strong sense of responsibility for ensuring that tourism is managed in a way that safeguards the fragile Antarctic environment. Our goal is to ensure that tourism in Antarctica is of a high standard and quality, and that it is operated within an environmentally acceptable framework.

I am pleased to note that the Norwegian operators in Antarctica are already maintaining high environmental standards. The newest vessels of the OVDS company, including the ship you will board this evening, are built to satisfy the "clean design" class, a voluntary classification for ships that are designed, built and operated in a way that gives additional protection to the environment. The Norwegian operators also maintain high safety standards, including ensuring that their vessels have the appropriate ice class.

The runways being built on the Antarctic continent may open the way for new kinds of tourism activities, such as eco-tourism and adventure tourism. I know that some of the parties have brought the question of permanent tourist facilities to the attention of this meeting. This may raise the question of private property rights on the continent, for which no agreed framework in the Antarctic Treaty exists. The matter clearly needs to be considered by the parties. This is another example of the need to take a proactive approach to managing tourism, so that new developments do not become serious problems.

We should also be open to new suggestions, for instance the question of a special fee for tourists visiting Antarctica. The Norwegian Government is now considering whether to introduce a special fee for tourists visiting Svalbard.

Norway has considerable experience of tourism and its regulation in other polar areas, especially Svalbard. Conditions in Svalbard and in Antarctica are not necessarily directly comparable. Nevertheless, I am sure that experience gained in the north can be useful in discussions of Antarctic tourism.

The crucial importance of the polar regions for life on earth and as indicators of climate change is widely recognised today. In a world where areas undisturbed by man are rapidly decreasing, the Antarctic wilderness and its ecosystems will - if properly managed – be an increasingly valuable asset for us all.

Antarctic tourism is important as a means of focusing attention on the value of Antarctica as a wilderness and a research laboratory. Visitors will return home as ambassadors for this great continent. However, they also put pressure on the vulnerable ecosystems of the continent. It is difficult to gauge the cumulative impact of tourism. This is an issue we have to deal with on Svalbard, and which I am certain will be no less challenging in Antarctica.

Norway has for more than a century operated various kinds of ships in Antarctica. We are therefore aware of the importance of safe and environmentally acceptable vessel operations in these waters. The IMO has adopted non-binding Guidelines for Ships Operating in Arctic Ice-covered Waters. We believe it is essential for the Consultative Parties to look at ways of having similar guidelines adopted through the IMO which are adjusted to the Antarctic situation.

Another important issue is insurance coverage for search and rescue operations. Norway has introduced mandatory insurance cover for non-governmental expeditions in the Antarctic, and has found that this functions well. We propose that all the Consultative Parties should introduce similar requirements.

The Consultative Parties must take on their full responsibility for regulating tourist activities in Antarctica. If we further postpone dealing with this issue, we may undermine the basis for other Antarctic activities, and the status of Antarctica as a natural reserve devoted to peace and science.

At this stage of the process, let me make a plea for openness. I think that we should not exclude any options as regards the form of regulation and management, but take a proactive, pragmatic and practical approach and give priority to the most pressing issues.

Ladies and gentlemen,

You might not have noticed, but in the logo for this meeting you will find a bird, or more precisely, an Arctic tern. The Arctic tern nests in the Arctic and in Northern Europe. However, during wintertime in the north, it migrates all the way down to Antarctica.

When discussing the challenges of Antarctic tourism let us follow the example of the Arctic tern, which draws on its Arctic experience and adapts it to the conditions that prevail in Antarctica.

I wish you a fruitful meeting and an enjoyable stay in Norway.

Thank you for your attention.