MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Commissioner’s first visit to South Georgia

Time of climate change. SGSSI Commissioner sees rapidly retreating glaciers

THE Commissioner of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Colin Roberts, has just returned from a ten day trip to South Georgia. The visit was the Commissioner’s first to the island and the initial port of call was King Edward Point (KEP), the seat of administration on the island.

 The Commissioner and party, including the Commissioner’s wife Camilla Roberts and Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Island’s (GSGSSI) Operations Manager, Keiron Fraser, disembarked and were accommodated in Carse House, one of the two Government residencies on the island.

The first day of the visit concentrated on providing the Commissioner with a thorough understanding of the facilities at KEP and Grytviken; the former whaling station on the far side of King Edward Cove.

The briefing included meeting all the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) staff supporting the Government’s aims at KEP, examining the facilities and the opportunity to visit several local sites using the station’s small boats.

The latter, included visits to examine the wrecks of two fishing vessels at the entrance to Moraine Fjord and a discussion regarding the importance of future legislation to require vessel owners to remove such wrecks. The opportunity was also taken to visit a small reindeer exclosure on Sorling Beach that clearly demonstrates the huge grazing pressure exerted by the reindeer herd; the last few animals of which will be removed this summer. Lastly, a brief visit was made to the Neumayer glacier to illustrate the on going glacial retreat and importance of glaciers in separating land areas, thereby allowing the staged removal of rats from the island.

The third phase of the South Georgia Heritage Trust (SGHT) Habitat Restoration Project, the project that is removing rats from South Georgia,will be completed later this austral summer.

During the visit two cruise ships called in to Cumberland Bay. The Commissioner was able to observe at first hand immigration and biosecurity procedures, passenger handling in small boats and onshore and to meet and greet a cross section of tourists.

The Commissioner spent the following day being shown round Grytviken whaling station and museum by GSGSSI and SGHT staff. The visit included the opportunity to examine current renovation works at the station including the Slop Chest, the whalers’ shop, which is currently being restored and will house a larger Post Office, audiovisual suite and provide space for travelling museum exhibits. The building team currently carrying out the building works on South Georgia is largely composed of Falkland Islanders, some of whom have returned to work on South Georgia for many seasons.

While at Grytviken the opportunity was taken to carry out a well-attended centenary ceremony on the sealer Dias formally the fishing vessel Viola.

The ceremony was requested by representatives of her home port, Hull, to commemorate the illustrious history of Viola during the First World War and the sad
loss of one of her crew on active service. Viola was involved in the sinking of at least one submarine and is now the only remaining vessel of her type with intact steam engines.

On the following day the KEP boats were used to transfer the Commissioner and party
to Stromness Whaling station.

Due to the presence of asbestos, a walk-round in full Personal Protective Equipment was carried out to allow briefing of the Commissioner on the history of the station and on-going environmental management around the site. While in Stromness Bay the opportunity was taken to run the boats inshore past both Husvik and Leith whaling stations.

On the last night ashore a formal dinner was hosted by the Government Officers based at KEP with representatives from BAS and SGHT. The next day, following a walk to the nearby biological scientific study site of Maiviken the Commissioner and party re-embarked for a bumpy return passage to the Falkland Islands.

At the end of the visit the Commissioner commented: “I have been hugely impressed by the professionalism, energy and commitment of those living and working on South Georgia.
What they have achieved with modest resources is remarkable.
We are at the point of updating our strategy for the territory’s future. I look forward to consulting widely and drawing on the special expertise of those who are or have been working there on the ground.” (PN)