MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Sustainable Antarctic tourism challenges.

Antarctic tourism and threats to the white continent biodiversity and conservation were at the heart of the “Science and Sustainable Tourism” seminar which took place in the framework of the APEC Third Tourism Ministers Encounter in Punta Arenas, sponsored by Magallanes Region government and the Chilean Antarctic Institute.

"In the last decade Antarctic tourism increased five fold, from 5,000 to the 25,000 visitors forecasted for the current season, which is an insignificant number for such a territory, but if the tendency continues this is the great challenge for the future given the fragility of its biodiversity", highlighted Jose Retamales president of the Chilean Antarctic Institute.

The seminar divided in three main chapters addressed: biodiversity in Cape Horn and Tierra del Fuego; Antarctic tourism and the conservation role played by the International Association of Antarctic Tourism Operators, IAATO, and finally United Nations experts talked about biodiversity reserve systems in the world.

Canadian born Peter Mc Dowell, president of Adventure Network International underlined IAATO efforts to put some order to Antarctic tourism in several areas but particularly regarding the environment since at any moment there are thirty cruise vessels operating in the area.

"One of the golden rules is to have no more than one cruise vessel at a time, or having more than a hundred tourists at any moment in the Antarctic coastline", said Mr. Mc Dowell.

"When you have over 30 cruises with several landings, IATO tries to make them follow certain itineraries so the visitor is under the impression he's the only visitor in Antarctica, and when he arrives some place he won't find five vessels with 500 visitors crowding the area which is negative for the business and for the environment", explained Mr. Retamales.

Further on Miguel Clüsener-Godt, United Nations representative and biodiversity expert recalled that Antarctica is protected by the Madrid Treaty but has no similar mechanism under the UN.

However if Chile manages to "establish a biosphere reserve in the Cape Horn area this will help as a model for adjoining areas given the extension and interwoven dependency and in this particular case for Antarctica", indicated Mr. Clüsener-Godt.

The UN expert added that if the number of Antarctic visitors keeps increasing, "ten, twenty fold in the coming twenty years we'll have a problem not only for Antarctica but in places from where these cruises begin, such as Punta Arenas. So this requires long term planning to improve conditions and not be overwhelmed when it actually happens".

"When you have an established system it's hard to stop it or reverse it, therefore anticipate problems and this could be excluding, preserving pristine areas; after all people come to Patagonia and Antarctica looking for unique wildlife and scenery", pointed out the UN delegate.

Mr. Retamales indicated that if the "Antarctic Province can be declared a world biosphere reserve, we can look ahead at a development based on conservation which is completely different to the exploitation of natural resources".

Finally Mr. Mc Dowell recalled that Punta Arenas in the last three decades has lost "Antarctic protagonism", since 90% of all Antarctic cruises now depart from Ushuaia in Argentine Tierra del Fuego.

Pilots' costs and blocked channels have had their impact, but "why not try sailing from Puerto Williams?", concluded the president of Adventure Network International.