Outcome:	2. Australia’s interests in 	Question No: 1
Antarctica are advanced
Division/Agency:	Australian Antarctic Division
Topic:	Impact of increased tourist traffic on Antarctica as a result of the construction of an airstrip in Australian territory
Hansard Page ECITA:	12
Senator Allison asked:
During discussion of the airstrip, Minister Campbell agreed to make available the Environment Impact Assessment of the project. The discussion also covered the potential impact of increased traffic on Antarctica should tourism operators be allowed to use the airstrip.
Answer/s:
The Environmental Impact Assessment, prepared on the airstrip project under the Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980 (ATEP Act), is attached. This Initial Environmental Evaluation (IEE) was available on the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) web site as part of public consultation process. The draft document was removed from the web site after the closure of the public consultation process. The documents formed part of a package that was referred to the Department under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

The final document, addressing comments received in the public consultation process, will be presented to the Delegate for consideration, and then posted to the AAD website. This is expected to occur by the end of August 2005.

Proposals for Antarctic tourism-related activities in the Australian Antarctic Territory or by Australians anywhere in Antarctica are assessed under the ATEP Act, which is administered by the AAD. No tourism-related proposal so far submitted has triggered the Environmental Impact Assessment processes of the EPBC Act.

Outcome:	2. Australia’s interests in 		Question No: 2
Antarctica are advanced 
Division/Agency:	Australian Antarctic Division
Topic:	Heritage listing of Antarctica
Hansard Page ECITA:	13

Senator Brown asked:
To whom did it (the Government) make the soundings (on the world heritage listing of Antarctica)?

Answer/s:
In developing a response to a Question on Notice on this matter, tabled in Parliament on 17 June 2004, the Department consulted the Attorney-General’s Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Internationally, Australia made soundings to other Antarctic Treaty Parties involved in the negotiation of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, between 1989 and 1991. Australia’s fellow Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties at the time of these soundings were: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay.

The conclusion was that nomination of Antarctica to the UNESCO World Heritage List was not likely to be supported because the World Heritage Convention requires properties to be nominated by the sovereign State (and Antarctic sovereign claims are not universally recognised) and because some of the Antarctic Treaty parties were not at that time Party to the World Heritage Convention. Instead, the Treaty Parties decided to grant an equivalent or stronger level of protection to Antarctica through the new Protocol. This was enshrined in Article 2 of the Protocol:
The Parties commit themselves to the comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems and hereby designate Antarctica as a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science.

Outcome:	2. Australia’s interests in 		Question No: 3
Antarctica are advanced
Division/Agency:	Australian Antarctic Division
Topic:	Decrease of penguin species in Antarctica as a result of rising sea temperatures
Hansard Page ECITA:	14
Senator Brown asked:
Which of them (penguin species) is decreasing?

Answer/s:
The only clear links to a changing environment on penguin numbers are at the Antarctic Peninsula where decreasing sea ice conditions are thought to favour chinstraps over Adélies. There is no link to warmer water - the reports of warmer oceanic water are for deep waters offshore.

Emperor penguins:
Decreases recorded at Cape Crozier (Ross Sea) and at Point Geologie (Adelie Land); population at Taylor Glacier (East Antarctica) has been decreasing slightly since 1988; Dion Island (Antarctic peninsula): probably decreasing

King penguins:
All populations increasing or levelling off

Adelie penguins:
East Antarctica: populations generally increasing
Antarctic Peninsula: King George and Palmer island: decreasing; Signy Island: increasing
Ross Sea: no clear pattern overall; Cape Crozier probably decreasing

Gentoo penguins:
Antarctic Peninsula: Admiralty Bay: decreasing; Signy Island: increasing; South Georgia and Falkland islands: decreasing

Chinstrap:
Antarctic Peninsula: Palmer Station: increasing; probably more increasing populations at western Antarctic Peninsula; King George and Signy islands: decreasing

Macaroni penguins:
Marion Island (Indian Ocean): decreasing
Kerguelen islands (Indian Ocean): slight increases
Bird Island (South Georgia): decreasing (up to 50% over past 20 years)

Rockhopper penguins:
Amsterdam Island (Indian Ocean): decreasing
St Paul Island (Indian Ocean): increasing
Marion Island (Indian Ocean: decreasing

Outcome:	2. Australia’s interests in 	Question No: 4 & 5
Antarctica are advanced
Division/Agency:	Australian Antarctic Division
Topic:	Rising air temperatures around Antarctica 
Hansard Page ECITA:	14

Senator Brown asked:
I am interested in the air temperature, because I have seen figures as high as six degrees. …….. And is it true that generally the further you get towards the South Pole the bigger the temperature rise appears to be?

Answer/s:
Few Antarctic stations have climate records longer than 50 years and detecting any trend in surface air temperature is difficult for such short periods, particularly since the year-to-year variability of Antarctic air temperature is greater than for most other parts of the planet.
There is no evidence that suggests that air temperature trends show greater warming closer to the South Pole. The observing station network in Antarctica is sparse and there are large areas of the interior of the continent that have no representative climate records. The US South Pole station itself is one of only two interior stations with more than 40 years of climate record. Some analyses of these data have suggested that there might even have been a slight cooling in the interior of the Antarctic continent, but the sparse available data do not make this a strong conclusion.

Outcome:	2. Australia’s interests in 	Question No: 6
Antarctica are advanced
Division/Agency:	Australian Antarctic Division
Topic:	Australian Antarctic Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
Hansard Page ECITA:	22

Senator Webber asked:
During discussion on this topic, Dr O’Connell offered to provide further information to Senator Webber.

Answer/s:
Dr O’Connell wrote to Senator Webber on 3 June 2005 providing information on the status of the EEZ. A copy of Dr O’Connell’s letter is attached.

Outcome:	2. Australia’s interests in 	Question No: 7
Antarctica are advanced
Division/Agency:	Australian Antarctic Division
Topic:	International Whaling Commission voting patterns
Hansard Page ECITA:	22

Senator Webber asked:
… can anyone give me an idea of how many nations Japan has encouraged at the same time so I can get a feel for the way the Japanese government are playing their politics?

Answer/s:
The Department is unable to comment on approaches Japan may have made to other governments.

Outcome:	2. Australia’s interests in 		Question No: 8
Antarctica are advanced 
Division/Agency:	Australian Antarctic Division
Topic:	Representation by Prime Minister on whaling
Hansard Page ECITA:	15

Senator Brown asked:
Are you aware of any communication that has gone to the Japanese government on that, Dr O’Connell? ... Can you provide those representations to the committee?

Has the Prime Minister made any communications to Tokyo about the killing of the 400-or whatever the number is-minke whales in recent years, before the recent controversy about humpback whaling? ... Can we have a copy of those representations please?

Answer/s:
Requests for copies of the Prime Minister’s correspondence should be directed to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Annually, upon notification of the permits issued under the intended Japanese Whale Research Program under Special Permit in the Antarctic (JARPA) (around March) Australia has made a direct representation to the Government of Japan, calling upon it to not proceed with its lethal scientific research. Prior to the commencement of the JARPA (typically November), Australia has made representations to the Government of Japan again calling upon Japan not to proceed with the lethal elements of its program.

Each year under the 16-year programme commencing in the 1989/90 Antarctic season, Japan has hunted 330 minke whales. The take was increased to 440 in the 1995/96 season.

Australia has supported eight International Whaling Commission Resolutions since 1996 that call upon Japan to cease its scientific whaling programme in Antarctic waters (see list at Table 1). When the opportunities arose, Australian Government Ministers and senior officials participating in other bilateral and international meetings have reiterated our concerns with Japan over its scientific whaling either in the meeting or in the margins.

Australia led a joint demarche to Japan over its proposed extension of JARPA into its second phase (JARPA II) on 2 June 2005 (Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Sweden, Netherlands and the United Kingdom).

The Committee’s attention is drawn to the Prime Minister’s public comments regarding Australia’s condemnation of Japan’s proposed scientific whaling programme (JARPA II).

Table 1:	International Whaling Commission Resolutions calling upon Japan to cease its scientific whaling activities in Antarctic waters

Meeting	IWC Resolution	Title	
IWC 48	Resolution 1996-7	Resolution on special permit catches in the Southern Ocean by Japan.	
IWC 49	Resolution 1997-5	Resolution on special permit catches in the Southern Ocean by Japan.	
IWC 50	Resolution 1998-4	Resolution on whaling under special permit.	
IWC 51	Resolution 1999-3	Resolution on whaling under special permit.	
IWC 52	Resolution 2000-4	Resolution on whaling under special permit in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary.	
IWC 53	Resolution 2001-7	Resolution on Southern Hemisphere minke whales and special permit whaling.	
IWC 54	-	- (Australia drafted a Resolution but the IWC Chair disallowed all Resolutions due to a shortage of time)	
IWC 55	Resolution 2003-3	Resolution on Southern Hemisphere minke whales and special permit whaling.	
IWC 56	-	- (Australia drafted a Resolution and notified Japan of its content, but withdrew the proposal due to a shortage of time)	
IWC 57	Resolution 2005-1	Resolution on JARPA II.	

Source: International Whaling Commission (2005). Resolutions. http://www.iwcoffice.org/meetings/resolutions/resolutionmain.htm (accessed on June 30, 2005).

Outcome:	2. Australia’s interests in 		Question No: 9
Antarctica are advanced
Division/Agency:	Australian Antarctic Division
Topic:	Ban on port visits by Japanese fishing vessels
Hansard Page ECITA:	30

Senator Allison asked:
There was a ban on fishing vessels coming into ports, which was lifted in 2001. … I am not sure which year the ban was imposed. All I know is that it was lifted in 2001.
Senator Ian Campbell ‑ I would have to look into it. I am not familiar with it. I am happy to see why there may have been a ban in 2001 but it is news to me.

Answer/s:
Australia banned port access to Japanese tuna fishing vessels in early 1998 when Japan would not agree on a total allowable catch (TAC) for southern bluefin tuna in the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT). The ban was extended indefinitely when Japan announced it would unilaterally proceed with an experimental fishing program (EFP).

The port access ban was lifted in June 2001, in light of the progress being made in the management of southern bluefin tuna including the implementation of an agreed scientific research program (SRP); an agreement between the CCSBT members to establish a TAC, and resolution of the dispute over Japan’s EFP.