Join our crew and become one of the 109,835 members that receive our newsletter.
The Akademik Alexander Karpinsky, a Russian polar explorer ship, arrives in Cape Town harbour, South Africa, January 28, 2023. REUTERS/Shelley Christians
Russian Antarctic Vessel Docks In South Africa As Green Groups Protest
JOHANNESBURG, Jan 28 (Reuters) – A Russian research vessel which has been prospecting for oil and natural gas in the Antarctic docked in South Africa on Saturday following protests by green campaigners who say its operations in the region violate a treaty banning mineral exploration.
Several members of the Extinction Rebellion environmental group held banners reading “Hands off Antarctica” as the polar explorer ship Akademik Alexander Karpinsky arrived as scheduled in Cape Town’s port during the morning.
Earlier this week, several dozen protesters from Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion demonstrated at the port, saying the ship’s seismic surveys in the Antarctic were a threat to marine life in the area and violated a 1958 international agreement.
A 1998 amendment to the 55-nation Antarctic Treaty, to which both Russia and South Africa are signatories, prohibits all mineral explorations and extractions in the region.
RosGeo, the state-owned Russian exploration company that operates the Akademik Alexander Karpinsky, says it has been conducting research in Russia’s designated part of Antarctica since 1970 to explore for hydrocarbons.
According to RosGeo’s website, the hydrocarbon potential of the designated area is estimated at approximately 70 billion tonnes.
RosGeo did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Extinction Rebellion representative Cassie Goodman told Reuters that South Africa’s government was being complicit in environmental damage by allowing the Russian ship to dock.
South Africa’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government has friendly relations with Russia. South Africa says it is impartial on the Ukraine conflict and has abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions on the war.
Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited South Africa and the two countries along with China are set to conduct a joint military exercise on the African nation’s east coast between Feb. 17 and 27.
By David Lawder, Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON, Dec 13 (Reuters) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Reuters on Friday that the U.S. is looking at further sanctions on “dark fleet” tankers and will not...
KYIV, Dec 15 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday he had instructed his government to set up supply mechanisms to deliver together with international organizations and partners food to...
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.