MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Antartic Programs Council meets in Punta Arenas.

For the first time ever Punta Arenas hosted last weekend the annual meeting of the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs Executive Committee which convened program directors of the main members of the Antarctic Treaty.

Gerard Jugie from France; Karl Erb from United States; Jorge Berguño, Chile; Yaedong Kim , South Korea; Henry Valentine, South Africa plus CMNAP chairman Antoine Guichard and Patricio Eberhard, Chief Logistics from the Chilean Antarctic Institute participated in the two days meeting, October 17/18, which took place in the headquarters of the Chilean Antarctic Institute.

Global climate changes, activities and programs instructions from the latest plenary Antarctic Treaty meeting in Hanover, sustainable tourism, conservation, scientific research programs plus logistics coordination for the coming 2007/2008 Polar Year were among the main issues addressed.

Karl Erb Director of Polar Programs from the US National Science Foundation said that in a workshop scheduled next March in Texas, "we will be considering biological measures to improve Antarctic environmental management, which should be helpful for an effective sustainable tourism".

The US delegate also revealed that the Antarctic Treaty organization is working on guidelines for the main tourist activities in Antarctica.

Regarding Punta Arenas as a logistic hub for Antarctica, similar to the roles played by Christchurch in New Zealand and Hobart in Australia, Mr. Erb said that much depends on the city's initiative in developing "additional capacity in support of air and sea transport to the Antarctic continent".