MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Punta Arenas Antarctic agenda

A full week of Antarctic related events are scheduled this week in Punta Arenas sponsored by the Chilean Antarctic Institute and the coming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation tourism summit to be held next November.

The first will be the V Meeting of Chilean Antarctic Research organized by the Chilean National Committee on Antarctic Research which is scheduled to extend for two days beginning October 12.

The event will be held behind doors in the Magallanes University but on Wednesday it will be open to the public with several conferences programmed.

Friday 15 there will be an international science and sustainable tourism seminar in the framework of the coming APEC tourism summit to be held in Punta Arenas. However most of this seminar will take place in Puerto Williams with the participation of Miguel Clusener-Gott from the United Nations Biospheres Reserves Program and Peter Mc Dowell manager of Antarctic Logistics Expeditions, the company contracted by the Chilean Antarctic Institute to support the coming Chilean expedition to Patriot Hills next November.

Finally Punta Arenas will host the meeting of the Executive Committee from the National Antarctic Programs Administrators Council, with the participation of Antarctic Programs Directors from the United States, France, Australia, South Africa, South Korea and Sweden plus Karl Erb Polar Programs Director from the US National Science Foundation and Gerard Jugie president of the French Polar Program.

Jose Retamales Director of the Chilean Antarctic Institute said the meeting will concentrate in planning Antarctic activities for the 29 country members of the Antarctic Treaty.