MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile's reply to UK Antarctic seabed claims was “weak”

Congress member Tarud proposes a meeting of the Antarctic Treaty

A leading Chilean member of Congress from the ruling coalition, who also sits in the Defence and Foreign Affairs committees, said that the Chilean government's reply to Britain's claims over the Antarctic seabed had been “weak”.

Jorge Tarud from the coalition's third strongest party said the Chilean government should take the initiative in the issue and call an extraordinary meeting of the twelve original parties of the Antarctic Treaty to assess the latest UK announcement. "This is a very serious issue for us so I'm calling on the administration of President Bachelet to convene members of the Antarctic Treaty", emphasized Tarud on Friday. The Chilean Congress member said that at the extraordinary meeting Chile should propose the extension of the Treaty's 50 years claims moratorium on Antarctica sovereignty and mineral resources exploitation. Tarud underlined that the UK Antarctic sea bed claim represents a breach of the current "fair play" situation which should be considered extremely serious by Chile "that is the country with more sovereignty rights over Antarctica". "We are the country geographically closest to Antarctica; we've exercised sovereignty over the territory for over half a century; we're the only country that has families living in Antarctica with children born and growing up there". Tarud added that next October 25 the Lower House Defence Committee would be visiting Antarctica where they will remain overnight for two days, "making use of the usual and natural sovereignty Chile has always had over that territory". This week press reports from Britain said the UK was looking into making a presentation before the United Nations Continental Shelf Limits Commission claiming sea bed rights off Antarctica, an area estimated to cover over a million square kilometers. Chile's Foreign Affairs Ministry on Thursday released a statement saying that Chile "makes clear its legitimate concern that this work [Britain's proposed claim] is done in full conformity with the principles of the Antarctic Treaty". The day before Argentina, the third party in the area potentially under dispute, confirmed that it was also collecting information and preparing presentations for seabed claims in the South Atlantic and off Antarctica. "We are working intensively in our presentation in defense of our national interest and our legitimate sovereign rights", Foreign Affairs minister Jorge Taiana was quoted by the Buenos Aires press. Britain and Argentina's claims are in the framework of the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention, and the 2009 deadline, which allows coastal states to extend their rights over the ocean floor on an adjacent continental shelf up to 350 miles from shore.