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Antarctic: Tourist Ships

asked Her Majesty’s Government whether the passenger safety and environmental protection regulations covering tourist ships in Antarctic waters are satisfactory. The noble Viscount said: As I have no right of reply, perhaps I may say that I am extremely grateful to all noble Lords who are taking part in the debate. I am particularly grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Bassam, for agreeing to answer the debate on behalf of the Department for Transport, which is what it is really all about. On 15 January last year, in the short debate on the International Polar Year 2007-08, I drew attention to the increase of shipping during the Antarctic summer tourist season, and the risk of accidents. Sadly, this was all too prescient as within a month, the MS ““Nordkapp”” ran aground, sustaining a big gash in her bow. But worse was to come. In November last year, the Liberian registered ship ““Explorer”” hit an iceberg and sank. The crew and passengers were all evacuated to lifeboats, but they were open lifeboats. Very fortunately, the sea was calm and they were all picked up several hours later. If the weather conditions had been less favourable—high seas are quite frequent in that part of the world—they would have survived only a few minutes in the sub-zero water, thereby causing a major marine catastrophe. So that is what this short debate is all about, and we need to know from the Government what measures are being taken to ensure that there are adequate controls on the number and quality of the tourist ships visiting Antarctica. Obviously, the British Government do not control this matter, but we are important members of the International Maritime Organisation, located in London, and great supporters of the British Antarctic Survey located in Cambridge. The issue was raised by the UK at the Antarctic treaty consultative meeting in Delhi last year, and I hope that it will be raised again at the Kiev meeting in June. A free, specialised sat-nav service is currently available, which gives high-resolution sea ice and iceberg information. I do not know whether ““Explorer”” had this system—if it had, of course it would not have sunk. British input is via the British Antarctic Survey, but the funding comes from the European Space Agency. This means that we have to deal with the Brussels bureaucracy, which is complicated and lethargic. Clearly, it would be advantageous if this vital sat-nav service was made mandatory and provided free. Can the Minister press the European Space Agency for this to happen? Clearly, it would be a great advantage. We also need to be concerned about the large number of British citizens cruising in ever-increasing numbers of ever-larger vessels in a fragile and often hostile area of great natural beauty. This has both environmental and safety implications. The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators provides a self-regulating framework and manages the traffic, but I do not think that it has the power to limit the size or numbers of vessels. Is this really adequate in the light of what happened last season? Other questions that need to be answered were raised at the last IMO marine environment protection meeting. They include: should ships burning heavy fuel oil be banned? Clearly, it would be very damaging if leaks occurred. Should ships without ice-strengthened hulls be banned? Are crew training standards adequate? Clearly, the UK cannot issue mandatory instructions to foreign-flagged vessels in international waters. The IMO is the only body that can impose international standards covering equipment and procedures. I understand that an IMO sub-committee has been appointed to consider design and equipment in ice-covered waters but that it is not expected to report until some time next year, by which time another Antarctic tourist season will have passed. Can anything be done to speed up these proceedings? I appreciate that I have posed a great number of questions for the Minister with whom I discussed this issue in advance, but they are mainly to be followed up by his department, although anything he can say today will be very much appreciated and will help the cause forward.