MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Regional News.

Headlines:
Successful season for “Mare Australis”; Lawsuits against Torres del Paine operator; Swedish training vessel visits Punta Arenas; Earthquake and tsunamis area; Icebreaker Irizar returns to Antarctica; Dengue scare in north Chile;

Successful season for "Mare Australis"

"Mare Australis" the mid sized Chilean built cruise vessel has ended what is described as a very successful season with twenty trips and 3,000 passengers, mostly foreigners who are particularly attracted by the Cape Horn scenery. Speaking from Punta Arenas, Mr. Arturo Storacker, CEO of Comapa the company that owns Mare Australis said that "results were far better than expected. The vessel will now be returning to Valdivia for maintenance". Mr. Storacker added that much of the success is because of the growing number of cruise vessels visiting Argentine Patagonia with a greater influx of visitors going through Punta Arenas either to reach Ushuaia or coming from Ushuaia. "When people find out that in our travel to Ushuaia we'll be crossing by Cape Horn and calling at the local jetty, it kind of rings a mystical bell. Some people have done the trip more than once" remarks Mr.Storacker. Another boost for the trade was a recent article in The New York Times with praise for "Mare Australis" in particular and Patagonia in general. "We were flooded with enquiries following the article", says Mr. Storacker who's enthusiastic about the future of the industry. "I believe that Patagonia tourism is in the rise, it's an attractive destination and will continue among the leading world attractions", but warned that operators must be imaginative with other options such as "tourist farms and lodges, whale sightseeing, horse tours, that will help complement the long trips to arrive to this area".

Lawsuits against Torres del Paine operator

A Chilean judge has ordered the preventive seizure of property equivalent to 250,000 US dollars belonging to a Torres del Paine Park lodge operator for his personal responsibility in the death of two American tourists a year ago. The seizure is extensive to his operating company. Ursula Harper and her son Matthew Brian who were visiting the park stayed overnight in a lodge belonging to Mr. Yerko Ivelich and his company Sociedad Cascada Expediciones Limitada and allegedly died asphyxiated with carbon monoxide from a defective heating system. The deaths occurred during the night of March 23 in the Ecocamp camping in Las Torres estancia (ranch) located in Torres del Paine Park, Chilean Patagonia world famous natural reserve. It was later proved that the lodge's heating system and its replacement were equally defective. Mr. César López the solicitor that represents the Harper family in Chile said he originally requested 2,5 million US dollars but Judge María Isabel López Villouta only acceded to ten per cent of the sum. Mr. Yerko Ivelich and his employee Rolando Fuchslocher face both criminal and civil lawsuits.

Swedish training vessel visits Punta Arenas

The Royal Swedish Navy training vessel Carlskrona called in Punta Arenas during the weekend before leaving for Valparaíso. Actually Carlskrona is a double purpose twenty years old vessel that can also be involved in mine dropping and sweeping, and carries 50 officers and a crew of 136 between cadets and conscripts, including seven females. Carlskrona left Sweden last March 10 and after calling in several Brazilian ports arrived in Chile. She's scheduled back in Sweden June 6. Captain Erik Thermaenius said the Carlskrona has completed 19 world tours in twenty year and this was the third time the cadet training vessel called in Punta Arenas. "Punta Arenas is a very nice town, people are very kind", said Captain Thermaenius who added that some of the original inhabitants of the city were Swedish. "We also visited the English cemetery where a Swedish Navy officer is buried after his vessel went down in the Magellan strait 150 years ago".

Earthquake and tsunamis area

"We must not forget that Chile has 12% of all the world's most active volcanoes and Magallanes Region is exposed to an Antarctic plaque that in the past has caused tsunamis (*) ", said Alberto Maturana head of Chile's National Emergency Office who visited Punta Arenas in anticipation of an exercise that will take place at the end of April. Mr. Maturana who is a surgeon, indicated that the main co-ordination will take place with local Education officials since the community schools will be receiving the evacuees and displaced residents caused by a "natural emergency". "Besides school children are the best at transmitting in their homes the risks and follow up measures whenever an emergency situation generates". Mr. Maturana said the fact that Punta Arenas is so distant and peaceful does not mean the area is not exposed. "Chile has 2,900 volcanoes along its border with Argentina, 45 very active (the whole world has 400), and we just have to remember the Hudson or Villarrica", indicated Mr. Maturana who also recalled that in the forties Punta Arenas "suffered destructive earth tremors including tsunamis originated in Antarctica". "So it's essential to make young people understand that the region is exposed to this sort of risks", concluded Mr. Maturana. (*) Giant waves caused by undersea volcano eruptions.

Icebreaker Irizar returns to Antarctica

Argentine Navy ARA Almirante Irizar is back in Antarctic waters for its second season campaign after having been supplied in Ushuaia. An outstanding first time according to Argentine authorities since the icebreaker normally returns to Buenos Aires. The provision of fuel and supply was done with the logistic support vessel "Patagonia" that was waiting in Ushuaia. "This has been a particularly satisfying experience since "Patagonia" helped improve our efficiency and save time and fuel", said Captain Delfor Ferraris, Commander of the Argentina Antarctic Naval Force. "Patagonia" was incorporated to the Argentine Navy in 1999. "The entire task was performed as programmed. The transhipment included 250 tons of food and general cargo, plus bunkering, both for the icebreaker and for the Argentine stations that must be supplied in this second campaign", underlined Commander Ferraris. Icebreaker ARA Irizar under Captain Héctor Tavecchia is scheduled to re-supply the bases San Martín, Jubany, Esperanza and Orcadas, besides bringing back personnel from summer stations Brown, Primavera, Decepción and Cámara.

Dengue scare in north Chile

Sanitary authorities in north Chile have proceeded to fumigate areas in the province of Huasco following the discovery of a mosquito that transmits haemorrhagic dengue and yellow fever. The discovery was confirmed by the University of Chile Epidemiology Department and is considered the first since (Spanish) colonial times and corresponds to an adult female "aedes asegiptus" that was caught in one of the many traps of the Epidemiology Vigilance Program of the north of Chile and metropolitan Santiago. "The campaign that has been put into action is educative, sanitary and preventive, addressed to the population so they are aware of the risks and take the necessary precautions plus helping with the elimination of this specie of mosquito", said Yasna Provote, Mayor of Chile's Third Region. Mr. Provote added that drinking water will be distributed among the "vulnerable population" since the area where the mosquito appeared has extensive ponds and stagnant water deposited that could easily become a breeding ground for larvae. Besides, properly sealed drums for collecting water will be exchanged for the old exposed ones, "so as to eliminate and eradicate this mosquito". Sanitary officials in Santiago confirmed that no cases of dengue infection have been recorded in Chile. Haemorrhagic dengue is quiet extended in Brazil where it's considered endemic in certain areas and sometimes is taking overseas by infected visitors and tourists.