MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Developing countries lead greater scientific interest in Antarctica

China and South Korea have more than doubled their involvement in two years in Antarctica, revealed, Jose Retamales

A greater movement of people and cargo can be expected in the future from the extreme south of Chile, beginning this coming season, as a direct consequence of increased Antarctic activities anticipated Jose Retamales, head of the Chilean Antarctic Institute.

Fourteen countries already operate from Punta Arenas as the jumping point to Antarctica, and “the intensity of this activity can be expected to grow significantly as Antarctic scientific research and involvement, particularly from developing countries, keeps advancing all of which will benefit our infrastructure”, said Retamales in an interview with the local press.

The Chilean Antarctic Institute, seated in Punta Arenas earlier this month hosted the XXI Annual Meeting of the Council of Managers of Antarctic Programs (COMNAP), which was considered a success with interesting reports from the International Polar Year 2007/2008.

Retamales said that China and South Korea are leading in expanding scientific research and new bases in Antarctica. China was the most impressive with the opening last year of the Kun Lun base at the highest point in central Antarctica (4.087 metres) which represents greater opportunities for glacier, geophysics, astronomy and mapping research.

“The Chinese structure with 400 tons of equipment was finalized in less than 20 days, which is evidence of excellent planning and organization”, said Retamales.

South Korea during the Punta Arenas meeting also announced some details of a second base to be established in an area where there are no such settlements, between the Antarctic Peninsula and the Ross Sea, plus the commissioning of a new icebreaker.

In practical terms this means China now has an involvement three times as significant as two years ago and Korea, will double its capacity. “For Punta Arenas this represents 1.200 people per season, up from the normal 700 to 800”, said Retamales.

Spain is also renewing its Antarctic logistics support with a new icebreaker named Mar de Hoces (for the Spaniards the Sea of Drake is Mar de Hoces).

Punta Arenas traffic not only includes China and Korea but also Russia (icebreaker and helicopters); Uruguay (research vessel and a Hercules C-130); Poland, Ecuador, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Brazil (icebreaker, aircrafts and helicopters); Germany; Peru; Spain, United States and the UK.