From Andrew Donaldson
Your editorial on the rush by several nations to stake a claim to parts of the Arctic seabed was timely and informative (1 September, p 5). It was, however, optimistic in its portrayal of what is happening in Antarctica, where the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 froze national claims to territory on the continent.
The dozen nations who were signatories in 1959 agreed to set aside their territorial claims for a period of 50 years. To the best of my knowledge there is no realistic prospect that it will be renewed when it expires in 2009. The US is already building an ice road to its base at the South Pole, and Russia is setting up “scientific bases” in every sector of the continent. Other nations, notably the UK, Chile and Argentina, are involved in the rapid development of tourism there. It all looks worryingly similar to the “gold rush” developing in the Arctic.
For there to be any prospect of Antarctica remaining a pristine wilderness, renewal of the Antarctic Treaty must be made as urgent a priority as the development of a similar agreement to cover the Arctic.
Bristol, UK
