MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Breaking News from Pta. Arenas.

Headlines:
Chilean Antarctic Institute anniversary; Magallanes cursed and blessed; Torres del Paine extends season; “Song of the Whale” by 007.

Chilean Antarctic Institute anniversary

The Chilean Antarctic Institute, Inach, will be celebrating this Friday in Punta Arenas its fortieth anniversary. Although the official date is May 29, when the Inach began operations in its Santiago headquarters four decades ago, president Jose Retamales Espinoza is currently in South Africa participating of the 27th consulting meeting of the Antarctic Treaty. Inach which depends from the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs took off in 1964 in offices leased by the Ministry of Public Works and its first task was to program a research development program in Antarctic base Gabriel Gonzalez Videla. Inach is credited with having pioneered environmental research in land and sea as well as international scientific cooperation and activities addressed to achieving the integration of regional academic centres. Currently after over thirty years in Santiago, following an executive order from Chilean president Ricardo Lagos Inach has moved all its operations and staff to Punta Arenas, where besides a new headquarters building has been planned.

Magallanes cursed and blessed

The strong natural gas supply cuts imposed by Argentina to Chile and Magallanes region particularly have proved a curse and a blessing, according to Punta Arenas daily La Prensa Austral. On the one hand the region is suffering the impact of a 750,000 cubic metres natural gas reduction which is essential for its main industry Methanex, a leading world producer of methanol. But on the other hand the natural gas shortage in the rest of Chile opens an unequalled opportunity for Magallanes bituminous coal to be used by plants producing electricity. Although Methanex expects a return to normal supply of Argentine natural gas in the coming weeks, as anticipated both by Chilean and Argentine officials, there is growing interest in northern Chile for coal from Magallanes which is identified as a reliable, long term supplier. More precisely thermoelectric plants in the Third Region of Chile have anticipated they will be visiting Punta Arenas to contact local authorities about purchasing coal. La Prensa Austral underlines that Magallanes must adopt a more proactive attitude insisting that coal becomes an energy alternative for Chile, and suggests that the region should seriously consider replacing natural gas for other energy alternatives.

Torres del Paine extends season

National Park Torres del Paine one of the main attractions of Chilean Patagonia has become a growing magnet mainly for foreign tourists and simultaneously has managed to extend the visitors season to almost nine months. According to Jose Kusanovic manager and partner in Las Torres hostel which is located in the very access to the park, "activity during the last season was up 20% and for the coming season we're almost fully booked". The number of tourists staying at the hostel during the 2002 season was above 8,000, and in 2003 "we almost reached 10,000, without including camping and cabins where another 30,000 people stayed overnight, also a 20% increase", indicated Mr. Kusanovic. As to the coming season, "we're fully booked November, December, January, February and almost all of March", says Mr. Kusanovic who credits success to a long, constant effort by local investors and "government and private promotion both in Chile and overseas". Mr. Kusanovic recalls that when he first arrived in 1995, the season would begin half way through November, it lagged in December and picked up again January and February, "but it was all over by March 6". However, "last season we had an excellent March and April, and we now open September 1, and the high season begins in October", revealed Mr. Kusanovic, who added that improvements in the hostel are ongoing. "We're doubling bed capacity and for 2006 we plan to have 20 five star suites, to satisfy upper level tourists". But Mr. Kusanovic complained about difficulties in reaching the Park, particularly by air. "If we had a proper airport in Puerto Natales things would improve greatly. We recently invited forty tourist promoters from overseas and they never reached simply because flights to the south were overbooked". Official statistics from the Chilean Forestry Corporation responsible for the protection of parks, natural reserves and natural monuments, indicate 166,230 visitors in 2003, with a clear majority of foreigners, 100,071. The 2003 numbers represent a 10,1% increase over 2002, however it was foreigners who mostly contributed with a 19,9% expansion. Americans, followed by Germans, Spaniards and British make the bulk of foreign visitors. Of the total 2003 Conaf numbers, over half of them 86, 467 of which 61,533 foreigners visited Torres del Paine. This represents a 13,3% increase over 2002, but for foreigners the increase was actually 22,1%.

"Song of the Whale" by 007

Irish actor Pierce Brosnan famous for his agent 007 role in the James Bond films has launched an international campaign to help save whales. Mr. Brosnan who identifies himself as a strong environmentalist and protector of weaker animals together with wife Keely Shaye-Brosnan organized the ceremony for the "Song of the Whale" charity in St. Katherine Docks. The famous actor has become the spokesperson for the international "Fund for Animal Welfare", IFAW, which among other tasks is involved in the designing and building of a three million US dollars, 21 metres long vessel that will undertake scientific research cruises and educational projects with the purpose of saving whales, particularly those species in danger of extinction. IFAW Executive Director Fred O'Regan said the support of Mr. Brosnan was "vital" for making possible the "Song of the Whale" project, underlining the couple's commitment to saving endangered whales. "They are environmentalist fighters besides being two wonderful and charitable persons", added Mr. O'Regan.