MOSCOW, February 3. /TASS/. Australian authorities did not permit a Russian scientific mission on board the The Academician Treshnikov scientific vessel to make a landing on the sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island, the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring of Russia (Roshydromet) said.

"It was planned to make a landing the sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island, but, unfortunately, the Australian side did not issue the required permits, although scientists from this state actively participate in this expedition," said Alexander Makarov, the deputy head of Roshydromet’s Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute.

The Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, the ship's owner, earlier said it was the first expedition of this kind. "It is the first round-the world scientific expedition, which will go round the Antarctic to visit the main sub-Antarctic islands," the institute’s press service said.

It was extremely hard for one organization or a country to carry out this project, so a special technical committee, comprising representatives of organizations responsible for the Antarctic programs of Australia, Britain, France and South Africa, has been set up.

The expedition departed from the German port of Bremerhafen on November 19, 2016. The main stage of the three-month Antarctic voyage started at the Cape Town port on December 20.