D_Gunther Snotpole
Account Disabled
British Antarctic Territory is governed by the Antarctic Treaty. There are claims to most of it from both Argentina and Chile. The claim of Argentina is predicated on their claim to the Falkland Islands, a claim not recognised by the United Nations (the UN many years ago declared that the wishes of the people presently living on the Falklands are paramount, which in effect means that the UN agrees the Falklands are British). The South Shetland Islands are covered by the Antarctic Treaty in as much as nations neither accept nor dispute British sovereignty (and they are administered as BAT), but the UK position is an assertion of sovereignty to these islands as a matter separate from the claim to continental British Antarctic Territory. As far as I can see, if oil is discovered in the South Shetlands the UK would see no reason not to exploit it. The South Orkney Islands were once considered a dependency of the Falkland Islands - now they are in BAT - though I think this is just an administrative convenience which could be reversed. There is little doubt that a Cameron-led UK government will continue to explore for oil in the South Atlantic, and will be prepared to act to assert UK sovereignty if the issue makes economic sense. The British claim could one day soon be a lively issue in international politics.
This is more enlightening.