Falkland U-Turn – the Government has performed yet another U-Turn, this time over the future of the Cambridge based British Antarctic Survey which was to be merged with the Southampton Oceanographic Centre – both organisations are part of the Swindon based Natural Environmental Research Council.   Both organisations each have two Royal Research Ships and there was a degree of sense in merging the two ship operating units, and manage them along commercial lines.

Lord West of Spithead, a former First Sea Lord, among others, warned that there was a danger of “sleepwalking” into another Falklands based on the decision to axe the scientific British Antarctic Survey which would send a signal that the UK is losing interest in the South Atlantic.   The decision was compared with the 1981 decision to withdraw the Ice Patrol Ship ENDURANCE.

The decision NOW to retain the British Antarctic Survey as an independent unit within Natural Environmental Research Council will hopefully still allow some sensible economies which could be achieved by the basing of the two Royal Research Ships of the British Antarctic Survey, the JAMES CLARK ROSS and ERNEST SHACKLETON at the Southampton Oceanographic Centre where the Royal Research Ships DISCOVERY and JAMES COOK are already based.