Divulgação/MCT

 

The Parliamentary Front for the Support to the Brazilian Antarctic Program (Proantar), commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty, with book launchings, speeches for students, debates and a solemn session at the Congress. Moreover, until Friday (8), the exhibition “Brazil in Antarctica” could be visited at the Entrance Hall of the auditorium of Interlegis, of the Senate.

Signed in December 1959 by twelve countries, that treaty, with 14 articles, started to prevail in June 1961. The agreement resulted from the worry that Cold War (indirect confrontation between the United States and the former USSR), would reach the Antarctic continent in the 50es. The principles of international cooperation, of scientific-research freedom, and especially of the pacific colonization of the region were established. The use of Antarctica for nuclear tests and as a deposit for radioactive residues was forbidden.

The 12 countries which had territorial claims on that region, among which Brazil has never been included, gave up on them for an indefinite period of time.

It was originally agreed that, until 1991, Antarctica would not especially belong to any country, but all would have the right to install bases for scientific studies there. During the international meeting of 1991, though, the countries which had signed that treaty decided to extend it for 50 additional years; thus, Antarctica will be an asset of all mankind until 2041. Its mineral exploitation is forbidden until 2048.

Brazilian presence
Brazil joined that treaty in 1975. In 1982, the Inter-ministry Committee for Sea Resources elaborated the Brazilian Antarctic Program, and, in February 1983, the first Brazilian expedition to Antarctica was concluded.

The installation of the Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station happened in 1984, at the King George Island, in the South Shetland Islands. In that year, the station was used only during 32 days, in the summer. Its constant occupation, 365 days per year, started only in 1986, with the so-called Antarctica Operation 4.

The Brazilian scientists developed researches in areas such as climatology, meteorology, atmosphere, geology, oceanography, ornithology and architecture, according to the Commander Geraldo Juaçaba Filho, one of the speakers of Wednesday (6), of the II Antarctic Week in Congress. Therefore, in addition to Comandante Ferraz Station, Brazil has another three refuges, in the Elephant Islands, Nelson Islands and King George Islands; and the support of special ships.

Only in 2008 there was the first Brazilian incursion to the inland of that continent, in the so-called expedition “Cristal Desert”, led by Jefferson Simões, a researcher and professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.

Parliamentary Support
The vice-president of the Parliamentary Front for the Support to the Antarctic Brazilian Program, Deputy Maria Helena (PSB-RR), stressed the need to attract the attention to the work performed by Brazil in that region. “The Brazilian Antarctic Program joins thousands of scientists which perform research interesting not only that region, but also Brazil and the world in very adverse conditions. Among their subjects are the ozone layer hole, the greenhouse effect, the impact of deicing on the oceans and the effect of fires in the Amazon on the polar atmosphere”, he highlighted.

The deputy felt the need to organize a movement for the support to Proantar, when she visited the region in 2005, invited by the Navy. Since 2007, that parliamentary front, currently formed by 121 deputies and 56 senators, works to include resources to revitalize the Brazilian station and to broaden scientific research in the Union’s Budget. Deputies and Senators guaranteed more than R$19,000,000 for the budget of the Brazilian Antarctic Program from the 2009 Budget.

The books launched on Tuesday (5), at the Noble Salon of the Chamber, handle the contribution of Brazilian Science to the Fourth International Polar Year (a publication of the Ministry of Science and Technology) and of Antarctica as a common asset of mankind (from the Ministry of Environment).

Report - Rejane Xavier
Editing- João Pitella Junior/Wilson Silveira
Translation - Positive Idiomas Ltda