Following on from my blog regarding the Russians laying claim to large swathes of the Arctic ocean bed, it looks like Britain may be about to follow suit, but this time in Antarctica. I had wondered how long it would be before the Antarctic Treaty's mettle was tested.... Reports in the Guardian Online speculate that Britain will lay claim (via the United Nations) to more than 1 million square kilometres of seabed in Antarctica - most likely with a view to tapping the rich natural resources there. I recall that the Australian government had a similar idea, with regards to mining in the white continent.
The reporter states that the claim would be in defiance of the spirit of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, to which the UK is a signatory. It specifically states that no new claims shall be asserted on the continent. The treaty was drawn up to prevent territorial disputes.The Foreign Office, however, has told the Guardian that data is being gathered and processed for a submission to the UN which could extend British oil, gas and mineral exploitation rights up to 350 miles offshore into the Southern Ocean. Sadly looks like the race for future energy resources in Antarctica is just beginning......
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