Special Consultative Meeting on An- tarctic Marine Living Resources and the decisive meeting to conclude the Con- vention.

Although the discussions at the Washington meeting were not made public, as indeed none of these nego- tiations have been, it is known that serious political differences arose which caused a delay in the process of con- chiding this Convention with the result that the meeting planned for January 1979 in Canberra was postponed.

An example of one of these problems is the "French" issue (even if France is not the only country confronted with such difficulties), relating to sovereignty over some antarctic islands. Another is the effort of the European Commission to bring about Community membership of the Convention, which would mean the Community being regarded as a single fisheries unit. Although some states are

in agreement to this, others are not. In addition, if the Community should be a party to the Convention, a member state may also still wish to obtain individual membership. However, tiffs dual membership would also involve double membership fees as this would mean higher administrative costs. The US Government seems to be taking a "hands-off" policy with regard to this problem. It would appear that whatever is suitable to the Western and Eastern Europeans would also be satisfactory to the US, as there is a feeling there that it is best not to make an issue of this because the Europeans probably are not terribly keen on having a treaty in the first place and any debate that will cause further strain might in fact slow up progress toward a treaty. In any event, it is felt that the EEC issue would probably resolve itself if agreement could be reached on all the other issues. []

How Much Krill can the Antarctic Spare ? New research findings may play an

important role in setting international regulations on the harvesting of krill, tiny shrimp-like crustaceans that abound in the cold seas around Antarctica. Recent studies of range, population, lifecycle and reproductive capacity suggest that krill {Euphausia superba) can be considered a major and almost untapped protein source for humans and livestock. But because of the impor- tant role krill play in the Antarctic food chain, many scientists have warned that unregulated harvesting could have a serious adverse effect on almost all life in Antarctic waters.

Krill were the main food of the great whales, which previously consumed an estimated 100 million tons a year. Since the whale population has been drastically depleted, other types of krill-eating animals such as seals and penguins have considerably increased, particularly in the last decade. Research ships from several countries, including the Federal Republic of Germany, the US and the USSR, have been investi- gating the size of the krill biomass. Estimates of annual potential krill harvest range from 50 to 200 million tons, compared with a world-wide annual catch of all species of marine animals of about 65 million tons.

Dr. Mary Alice McWhinnie of De Paul University in Chicago, one of the world's

few experts on krill, conducted an intensive study of krill at sea and in a special laboratory at Palmer Station, a small scientific outpost on Anvers Island on the west coast of the Antarctic peninsula. Among the findings she reported to the US National Science Foundation's Division of Polar Programs was that female krill do not die after spawning as previously thought. Instead, they shed their shells, continue feeding

Environmental Policy and Law, 5 (1979)

and revert to a younger maturity stage for repeated spawning cycles. A female krill produces an average of 2000 to 3000 eggs per spawn - not the 300 to 800 previously reported. Furthermore, both spawning and the growth of larvae were found to be independent of water pressure and depth, at least down to 3000 m and more, and the life span of krill was found to be more than three years. Another finding that is signifi- cant in predicting the rate of recovery of harvested stocks is that, in addition to phytoplankton, krill feed on small animals and even other krill. This means they not only survive but can con- tinue to grow under the ice cover during the long, dark Antarctic winters because they have a renewable food supply.

Dr. McWhinnie reported as-yet un- explained differences in growth and respiratory patterns and temperature tolerances between krill in the Bransfield strait and those in the Bellingshausen Sea. She also discovered a parasite that is endemic to the krill population in the Bransfield Strait. This parasite attaches itself to the abdominal legs and pro- bably affects the reproductive organs and thus the size of any krill population so infested.

Aquaculture of krill may even be possible. Krill are now being maintained at Palmer Station through the Antarctic winter, demonstrating that with proper tanks, krill can be maintained for long and perhaps indefinite periods of time.

With economic production of krill meal as a goal, many countries are experimenting to improve techniques

Courtesy: lJwe Kils

5

for harvesting and removing the chi- tinous shell and to develop ways to prepare krill for eating. Major obstacles appear to be the long, costly voyages to Antarctic waters, the cold weather, the world's stormiest seas, and the very short period before fresh krill starts to spoil. These are not insurmountable problems, however, and fishing for krill is expanding rapidly.

But will there be a steady future supply of krill for harvesting, and what effect will harvesting have on other life in the Antarctic? Although the repro- ductive and growth potential of krill reported in studies such as these suggest that krill may have the ability to support the Antarctic food chain and also with- stand rational harvesting, conservationists

are wary. Many have stressed the fragi- lity and vulnerability of the Antarctic ecosystem, the large degree of uncertainty in predictions of the consequences of exploitation of any of the interdependent species, and the inadequacy of present knowledge of the effects of large-scale harvesting.

The concept of international control of the krill harvest is generally welcomed, but conservationists urge very modest initial quotas and catch levels, with several areas set aside by international agreement from all exploitation of all living resources to provide base-line data against which the effects of harvesting can be assessed. They also stress that any management regime established must include provisions for collection and

sharing of scientific data, independent observation and close monitoring of harvesting, and prevention of irreversible changes in the ecosystem.

These concerns have been expressed by many scientists and conservationists without access to the proposed Con- vention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources because the draft text has not previously been available for general study and comment. With the publication of this text (see Selected Documents, this issue, p. 58), they can begin to examine the relationship of this proposed convention to other conven- tions already in force and assess its impact on the Antarctic environment. (See also IUCN Resolution, this issuel p. 58.) MPG []

Vers la CrEation d'une Agence Europeenne pour la Protection

de I'Environnement Marin? par ALEXANDRECHARLES KISS*

Le 4 juiUet 1978 une audition parle- mentaire europ~enne a ~t6 organis6e/l Paris par le Conseil de l 'Europe sur la pollution des zones c6ti~res par les hydrocarbures. Bien ~videmment, les r~centes catastrophes 6cologiques et ~ en particulier, celle caus6e par l '6chouement de l ' "Amoco Cadix", ~taient h l'origine de cette initiative, qui a pennis de passer en revue la nature et les causes 6conomi- ques, humaines et techniques de la pollu- tion, ses effets sur l 'environnement, les probl~mes pos6s par le transport mari- time des hydrocarbures, ainsi que les possibilit6s et les chances d'une inter- vention apr6s un accident. ~ A la suite

*Directeur de recherche au Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Pr6sident du Conseil Europ6en du Droit de I'Environne- ment. 1 Les traveux de l'audition parlementaire euro- p6enne ont 6t6 publi6s int6gralement par l'As- sembl6e parlementaire du Conseil de l'Europe sous forme d'un petit livre de 245 pages (Stras- bourg, 1978). 2Recommandation 847 (1978). Voir aussi le rapport de M. Bagier sur l'action europ6enne contre la pollution des eaux et des c6tes (Dec. 4199 du 6 sept. 1978). 3Directive No. 373 (1978).

de la r6union, qui a permis une large confrontation de vues entre parlemen- taires, experts, repr~sentants des orgafii- sations internationales int6ress6es, et ceux de milieux professionnels (p6tro- liers, transporteurs, assureurs, etc.), l'Assembl6e parlementaire du Conseil de l 'Europe a adopt6, le 2 octobre 1978, une recommandation 2 et une directive 3 relatives ~ l'action europ6enne contre la pollution des eaux et des c6tes.

La recommandation demande au Co- mit6 des Ministres du Conseil de l 'Europe d'inviter les gouvemements des Etats membres ~ ratifier les nombreux accords internationaux existant en mati6re de lutte contre la pollution de la met par des hydrocarbures, h 6laborer un syst6me efficace de contr61e et'de sanctions dis- suasives, ~ prendre les mesures n~cessai- res pour assurer l'interdiction ou le con- tr61e des d6versements de p6trole en meret dans les cours d'eau, ~ d6velopper des programmes de recherche clans le cadre d'une concertation europ6enne engag6e sous les auspices de toutes les organisations internationales comp6- tentes,/~ 6tablir des plans pr6cis et co-

ordonn6s d'intervention en cas de pollu- tion, et/~ renforcer encore la coop6ration entre Etats, afin de pr6server le patri- moine commun de faune et de flore marines. La ptupart de ces propositions convergent vers la cr6ation d'une agence internationale "qui servirait de cadre institutionnel pour la coordination des activit6s des organisations existantes et des gouvernements en faveur de la pro- tection des zones maritimes et c6tibres europ6ennes". Effectivement, la recom- mandation pr6voit que la possibilit6 de cr6er une telle agence devrait 6tre 6tu- di6e. La directive adopt6e le m6me jour que la recommandation ne fait que ten- forcer l'initiative: elle charge la commis- sion de la science et de la technologic d'inviter son Comit6 mixte europ6en de coop6rations scientifiques/t lui faire rap- port sur les propositions interdiscipli- naires qui pourraient ~tre faites pour "contribuer/~ mieux connaitre l'effet des hydrocarbures sur l'environnement,

e t ~ enrayer la pollution en cas d'acci- dent".

En effet, des 6tudes men6es dans le cadre de l'Institut pour une Politique

Environmental Policy and Law, 5 (1979)