Ice connection opens

The first Antarctic-related secretariat in New Zealand was opened yesterday in Christchurch.

The international Secretariat of the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes (Comnap) will be based at Canterbury University's Gateway Antarctica for the next six years.

Created in 1988, Comnap is the international association that brings together national Antarctic programmes from around the world to develop and promote best practice in managing the support of scientific research on the frozen continent.