In late August, the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water announced the temporary removal of all personnel from Macquarie Island, about 1,500 kilometres south-east of Hobart. The department cited the need to avoid the 'psychosocial' impacts of a potential H5 bird flu outbreak, which has caused mass mortality events among wildlife elsewhere. Deputy secretary Sean Sullivan said at the time that the 'psychosocial risks of living near potentially large numbers of affected animals' could not be ignored.
But days later, multiple expeditioners sent a letter to Mr Sullivan and leaders at the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) questioning the rationale. 'Whilst safeguarding personnel is of paramount importance, characterising the potential of witnessing wildlife mortality as an unmanageable psychological hazard overstates the risk and undervalues our rigorous preparation, training and resilience,' they wrote.
The expeditioners, who underwent psychological and medical assessments before deployment, arrived in April and were expected to spend up to a year on the island. They noted that other countries had maintained a presence on sub-Antarctic islands impacted by bird flu, including Crozet, South Georgia and the Falklands. 'Evacuating a station that currently lacks confirmed cases of [bird flu] based on predictive distress is not only unnecessary, but it also fundamentally eclipses the purpose of maintaining a permanent sub-Antarctic presence,' the letter said.
The researchers also warned that the island's aging fuel farm presented 'an unacceptable risk to the environment without personnel on-site'. They argued that a fuel leak could go undetected by remote cameras, and a physical response team would take up to 12 weeks to arrive.
The expeditioners returned to Hobart last week aboard the RSV Nuyina. In a statement, the department defended the decision, saying it was based on a detailed risk assessment and workplace health and safety legislation. It acknowledged the decision was 'not supported by everyone'. The department said the potential psychosocial impacts of a prolonged wildlife mortality event were assessed as 'major', and that an unplanned retrieval voyage could disrupt the Antarctic season. It noted that cameras had been installed for remote monitoring and that the AAD was planning to remove remaining fuel from the island.
It remains unclear when expeditioners will be able to return.