DOCSLIB.ORG

Naalakkersuisoq Karl-Kristian Kruses Tale Nordatlantisk

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Naalakkersuisoq Karl-Kristian Kruses Tale Nordatlantisk Naalakkersuisoq Karl-Kristian Kruses tale Nordatlantisk Fiskeriministerkonference i Shediac 29. august 2017 Dear friends and colleagues I would like to thank our hosts for this chance to visit beautiful New Brunswick and appreciate the hospitality we have been greeted with here. For Greenland, Canada is our closest neighbour and especially with Nunavut, we share a strong sense of culture. We experience similar challenges. We have strong partnerships on many issues as we share a like-minded approach to a safe and sustainable Arctic development with respect for local culture and traditional ways of life. Together Greenland and Nunavut communicate the cultural and social values of the indigenous peoples of the Arctic. Through cooperation we are able to promote greater understanding of the issues that are important to the people of the Arctic. Therefore, it is indeed a pleasure for us to meet with our friends and colleagues here in New Brunswick to talk about measures to protect our Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans. Intro The protection of the marine environment in Greenland falls under the remit of different ministries. The Ministry of Nature and Environment is responsible for the international agreements and conventions regarding biodiversity and overall nature conservation in Greenland, including protection of the marine environment. The Ministry of Fisheries and Hunting is responsible for the management of all living resources. It is therefore essential, when we talk about ocean governance, that we have close cooperation across sectors. It is also essential that we work across borders as we share marine ecosystems and resources among us. What we have done to protect the marine environment We have in Greenland almost 5 % marine protected areas according to IUCN standards. In Greenland, there are currently 12 protected land areas. Six of these areas contain marine components. Side 1 af 5 The regulations for the protected areas and protected wetlands contain administrative rules for fishing, hunting, boating, air travel and traffic, etc. In addition, Greenland has designated 12 Ramsar areas. All 12 areas have marine and / or freshwater components. Five areas can be recognized as MPAs according to the IUCN criteria. Example marine protected area I will give you an example of one protected marine area in Greenland. Melville Bay has been recognized as an Arctic marine area of heightened ecological and cultural significance through both national and international assessment processes. Melville Bay is in Greenlandic called Qimusseriarsuaq meaning ‘the great dog sledding area’ and is a large, mostly ice covered area which lies north of Kullorsuaq extending up to the Thule district. Part of Melville Bay with adjoining stretches of land and ice, has been designated as a nature reservation, where all wildlife has been protected since 1989 by Executive Order. Especially, in order to protect the breeding populations of polar bears, belugas and narwhals. In the nature reserve all hunting, fishing, egg collecting, passage, boating or air transport below the altitude of 500 m, is prohibited. The reserve is also off limits to expeditions except for scientific endeavours with special permits. Any persons, with permanent residence in either Upernavik or Avanersuaq municipality and possessing valid proof that their main occupation is hunting may, however, continue traditional hunting and fishing in parts of the area. Other measures examples As examples of ‘other measures’ for marine conservation, I can mention tools as Fishery closed areas; Bottom trawl prohibition; Areas designated as seabird breeding sanctuaries and regulation of activities near and at seabird colonies in the breeding season; Prohibition of the use of motorized vessels in some fiords in relation to seal and narwhal breeding seasons, etc. In relation to offshore mineral resources activities, we have also various orders in place to safeguard the marine ecosystem. New Marine Environment Protection Act We have recently passed a new Act on the protection of the marine environment. Together with the Nature Protection Act from 2003, this new Act aims to prevent pollution of the marine environment. The Act sets out strict requirements for a wide range of human activities within our internal waters and territorial sea. In addition to protecting the environment, the purpose of the Act is to ensure that social development can take place on a sustainable basis. An ecosystem based approach, sustainability, the precautionary principle and the use of the best available technology are now explicit requirements in the Act. This brings the language of the Act in line with the CBD and OSPAR Convention. Side 2 af 5 What we are doing The Government of Greenland has initiated the work towards the identification of ecological and biological valuable and vulnerable areas in Greenland. Over the past decade, considerable effort has been invested in identifying ecologically valuable and sensitive marine areas and coastlines. Furthermore, key habitats, migration routes, and the population size and ecology of sensitive species and resources have been identified. The purpose of the identification is to provide a biological and technical platform for strategic efforts in relation to the protection of ecological and biological valuable and vulnerable areas in Greenland. The main work in Greenland at this time is to build up knowledge for the administration to be able to take management decisions on a well-informed basis. Public awareness and local involvement in regulation where protection and sustainable use of living resources go hand in hand, is of great importance to the Government of Greenland. Area of special interest We have many special and pristine areas with abundant wild life and biodiversity in Greenland, but here I will focus on one area, as many indicators tell us that this area may be in need of special management attention. Pikialasorsuaq The North Water Polynya is the Arctic’s largest polynya, and one of the most biologically productive ecosystems in the Northern Hemisphere. The North Water is in Greenlandic called Pikialasorsuaq - meaning ‘the great upwelling’. The polynya’s open waters feature an unusually early spring plankton bloom, which supports exceptionally large concentrations of seabirds and marine mammals. The North Water Polynya supports a returning colony of little auks, representing 80% of the global population, the largest single species aggregation of marine birds anywhere on earth. This open water provides vital spring and summer feeding areas for several whale species and a wide variety of marine birds. There are year-round concentrations of walrus and significant numbers of polar bear, including important denning areas. The area provides a critical wintering and migratory habitat for the Baffin Bay beluga population and summering areas for a portion of the North Baffin narwhal population. The area provides important wintering areas for bowhead whales and summering areas for harp seals. The area constitutes a critical breeding and feeding ground for large numbers of many species of seabirds. Side 3 af 5 Parts of this region provide important subsistence hunting grounds. The natural resources of the North Water Polynya have more than once been the basis for immigration into Greenland from Inuit from the west, and therefore also have significant historical and cultural significance. The North Water Polynya and the adjacent Lancaster Sound in Canada are considered to be ecologically important in a circumpolar context. Both areas have, based on IUCN's work, been characterized as SUPER-EBSA’s. I have followed the Canadian work towards protecting Lancaster Sound as an MPA with great interest and will continue to do so. I find that the hearing process and involvement of local and Indigenous peoples are similar to approaches in Greenland. We are awaiting with great anticipation the recommendations of the Pikialasorsuaq Commission - a special commission set up by the Inuit Circumpolar Council to consult Inuit in Greenland and Nunavut on both sides of the North Water Polynya. The ICC fears the North Water area is threatened by climate change and by the possibility of increased shipping, tourism, fishing and non-renewable resource development. The commission has travelled and heard hunters and other local residents on their uses and experiences. Changes in the marine environment may have implications on the harvesting of wildlife, which remains the most important food source to people of this region. According to the commission, Inuit in Canada and Greenland are expressing a strong desire for increased cooperation to arrive at a common vision for shared resources and Inuit-led management of the North Water. Once the recommendations from the commission have been presented to the Government of Greenland, we may be able to link this to the work of the on-going identification and consider a management end conservation regime for this area. Utilisation and protection We see a great global trend in the eagerness to protect the marine environment and ecosystems. I must stress the importance of sustainable use of marine resources. I must underline that, when we talk about protecting marine areas, we need to also consider the social and economic needs of the people who depend on fishing and hunting for their livelihoods. Fishing is the backbone in Greenland's economy and is Greenland's most important export sector. The fishing and hunting industry are important to our national identity and these industries constitute a livelihood for many families, especially in the smaller settlements. Side 4 af 5 For Greenland it is of utmost importance that ocean governance accommodates sustainable utilisation of marine resources, while at the same time protect ecosystems. It is also of utmost priority and only natural for us, that in all decision-making processes on ocean governance, the involvement of local and indigenous peoples is included, to ensure that decisions are taken in close cooperation with the people directly affected. For me, my overall focus is that we do not neglect the socio-economic components of sustainability in our ocean governance.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Ilulissat Icefjord
    World Heritage Scanned Nomination File Name: 1149.pdf UNESCO Region: EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA __________________________________________________________________________________________________ SITE NAME: Ilulissat Icefjord DATE OF INSCRIPTION: 7th July 2004 STATE PARTY: DENMARK CRITERIA: N (i) (iii) DECISION OF THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE: Excerpt from the Report of the 28th Session of the World Heritage Committee Criterion (i): The Ilulissat Icefjord is an outstanding example of a stage in the Earth’s history: the last ice age of the Quaternary Period. The ice-stream is one of the fastest (19m per day) and most active in the world. Its annual calving of over 35 cu. km of ice accounts for 10% of the production of all Greenland calf ice, more than any other glacier outside Antarctica. The glacier has been the object of scientific attention for 250 years and, along with its relative ease of accessibility, has significantly added to the understanding of ice-cap glaciology, climate change and related geomorphic processes. Criterion (iii): The combination of a huge ice sheet and a fast moving glacial ice-stream calving into a fjord covered by icebergs is a phenomenon only seen in Greenland and Antarctica. Ilulissat offers both scientists and visitors easy access for close view of the calving glacier front as it cascades down from the ice sheet and into the ice-choked fjord. The wild and highly scenic combination of rock, ice and sea, along with the dramatic sounds produced by the moving ice, combine to present a memorable natural spectacle. BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS Located on the west coast of Greenland, 250-km north of the Arctic Circle, Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord (40,240-ha) is the sea mouth of Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the few glaciers through which the Greenland ice cap reaches the sea.
    [Show full text]
  • Submission of Scientific Information to Describe Areas Meeting Scientific Criteria for Ecologically Or Biologically Significant Marine Areas
    Submission of Scientific Information to Describe Areas Meeting Scientific Criteria for Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas Title/Name of the areas: Canadian Archipelago including Baffin Bay Presented by Michael Jasny Natural Resources Defense Council Marine Mammal Protection Project Director [email protected] +001 310 560-5536 cell Abstract The region within the Canadian Archipelago, extending from Baffin Bay and Davis Strait to the North Water (encompassing the North Water Polynya), and then West around Devon Island and Somerset Island, including Jones Sound, Lancaster Sound and bordering Ellesmere Island and Prince of Whales Island, should be set aside as a protected area for both ice-dependent and ice-associated species inhabiting the area such as the Narwhals (Monodon monoceros), Polar bears (Ursus maritumus), and Belugas (Delphinapterus leucus). The Canadian Archipelago overall has showed slower rates of sea ice loss relative to other regions within the Arctic with areas such as Baffin Bay and Davis Strait even experiencing increasing sea ice trends (Laidre et al. 2005b). Because of the low adaptive qualities of the above mentioned mammals as well as the importance as wintering and summering grounds, this region is invaluable for the future survival of the Narwhal, Beluga, and Polar Bear. Introduction The area includes the Canadian Archipelago, extending from Baffin Bay and Davis Strait to the North Water (encompassing the North Water Polynya), and then West around Devon Island and Somerset Island, including Jones Sound, Lancaster Sound and bordering Ellesmere Island and Prince of Whales Island. Significant scientific literature exists to support the conclusion that preservation of this region would support the continued survival of several ice-dependent and ice-associated species.
    [Show full text]
  • Descriptive Text to the 1995 Geological Map of Greenland, 1:2 500 000
    GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF DENMARK AND GREENLAND BULLETIN 18 2009 Greenland from Archaean to Quaternary Descriptive text to the 1995 Geological map of Greenland, 1:2 500 000. 2nd edition Niels Henriksen, A.K. Higgins, Feiko Kalsbeek and T. Christopher R. Pulvertaft GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF DENMARK AND GREENLAND MINISTRY OF CLIMATE AND ENERGY Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland Bulletin 18 Keywords Archaean, Caledonides, Cenozoic, economic geology, geological map, Greenland, ice sheet, Mesozoic, offshore, orogenic belts, Palaeozoic, petroleum, Phanerozoic, Proterozoic, sedimentary basins. Cover illustration The cover design depicts mountains of the East Greenland Caledonian fold belt. The view, west of Mestersvig (located on map, page 4), is north over Bersærkerbræ and the northern part of the Stauning Alper to Kong Oscar Fjord with Traill Ø in the right backgro- und. The mountains up to 1800 m high are of the Neoproterozoic Eleonore Bay Supergroup. To the right: first author Niels Henriksen, for many years head of geological mapping at GGU/GEUS, and participant in field work in Greenland for more than 45 years. Frontispiece: facing page Major Caledonian syncline involving reactivated Archaean basement gneisses containing amphibolite bands. Overlying rusty coloured Mesoproterozoic metasediments (Krummedal supracrustal sequence) just visible in tight core of the fold. The intensity of deformation in the syncline clearly increases towards the core, where the basement gneisses become more strongly foliated. Some of the amphibolite bands were derived from cross-cutting basic intrusions, which are still discernable in the less severely deformed parts of the Archaean basement (Fig. 17, p. 31). The height of the section is c. 2000 m.
    [Show full text]
  • A Reassessment of Greenland Walrus Populations
    NAMMCO/SC/17/WWG/05 - Revised A reassessment of Greenland walrus populations Lars Witting†, Erik Born†, and Rob Stewart‡ † Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, P. O. Box 570, DK-3900 Nuuk, Greenland ‡ Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg Manitoba R3T 2N6, Canada. Contact: L. Witting: [email protected] ABSTRACT We use recent abundance estimates, historical catches and an age- and sex-structured popu- lation dynamic model with density regulation to perform Bayesian assessments of the three populations of Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) that occur in Greenland. We estimate that the West Greenland/Baffin Island population declined from 9000 (CI:5900- 14000) walruses in 1900 to 3200 (CI:1790–5430) in 1960, where after it remained relatively stable with a local maximum of 4500 (CI:3650-5550) walruses in 1993 and a somewhat lower abundance 3200 (CI:2300-4400) in 2010. We estimate a 2010 depletion ratio of .33 (CI:.19- .60) and a yearly replacement of 130 (CI:61-190) individuals. The Baffin Bay population is estimated to have declined almost linearly from 10000 (CI:6900-16000) walruses in 1900 to 2100 (CI:1500-3100) in 2010. This population is estimated to have a depletion ratio of .20 (CI:.11-.33) and a replacement of 84 (CI:31-140) walruses per year. We also estimate that East Greenland walruses declined from 1600 (CI:1000-2500) individuals in 1889 to a maximal depletion of 0.73 (CI:0.48-0.91) in 1909. The population has since increased slowly to a cur- rent depletion ratio of .96 (CI:.80-.99) and a corresponding abundance of 1500 (CI:940-2400) individuals.
    [Show full text]
  • Greenland Halibut
    Downloaded from orbit.dtu.dk on: Oct 05, 2021 Greenland Halibut in Upernavik: a preliminary study of the importance of the stock for the fishing populace A study undertaken under the Greenland Climate Research Centre Delaney, Alyne E.; Becker Jakobsen, Rikke; Hendriksen, Kåre Publication date: 2012 Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link back to DTU Orbit Citation (APA): Delaney, A. E., Becker Jakobsen, R., & Hendriksen, K. (2012). Greenland Halibut in Upernavik: a preliminary study of the importance of the stock for the fishing populace: A study undertaken under the Greenland Climate Research Centre. Aalborg University. Innovative Fisheries Management. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Greenland Halibut in Upernavik: a preliminary study of the importance of the stock for the fishing populace A study undertaken under the Greenland Climate Research Centre Alyne E. Delaney* Rikke Becker Jakobsen Aalborg University (AAU) Kåre Hendriksen Danish Technological University (DTU-MAN) Innovative Fisheries Management, IFM - an Aalborg University Research Centre *[email protected] Innovative Fisheries Management (IFM), Department of Development and Planning, Aalborg University, Nybrogade 14, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark Profile of Upernavik’s Greenland Halibut coastal fishery Table of contents 1.
    [Show full text]
  • The Biological Importance of Polynyas in the Canadian Arctic
    ARCTIC VOL. 33, NO. 2 (JUNE 1980). P. 303-315 The Biological Importance of Polynyas in the.?, Canadian Arctic IAN STIRLING’ ABSTRACT. Polynyas are areas of open water surrounded by ice. In the Canaeh Arctic, the largest and best known polynya is the North Water. There are also several similar, but smaller, recurring polynyas and shore lead systems. Polynyas appear tobe of critical importance to arcticmarine birds and mammalsfor feeding, reproduction’itnd migration. Despite their obvious biological importance, mostpolynya areas.are threatened by extensive disturbance and possible pollution as a result of propesed offshore petrochemical exploration and year-round shippingwith ice-brewg capability. However, we cannot evaluate what the effects of such disruptions mi&t be becauseto date we have conducted insufficient researchto enable us to haye: a quantitative understanding of the critical ecological processes and balances that magl,k unique to polynya areas. It is essential thatwe rectify the situation because the survival of viable populations or subpopulations of several species of arctic marine birds qnd mammals may depend on polynyas. RftSUMfi. Les polynias sont des zones d‘eau libre dans la banquise. Dans le Canada arctique, le polynia le plus vaste et le mieux connu, est celui de “North Water”. Quelques polynias analogues mais de taille rtduite existent; ils sont periodiques et peuvent 6tre en relation avecle rivage. Les polynias semblent primordiaux aux oiseaux marins arctiques et aux mammiferes, pour leur nourriture, leur reproduction et leur migration. En dtpit de leur importance biologique certaine, la plupart des zones de polynias sont menacees d’une perturbation B grande echelle et d’unepollution possible, consequencedes propositions d’exploration petrochimique en mer et d’une navigation par brise-glaces, tout les long de l’annte.
    [Show full text]
  • The Voyage of David Craigie to Davis Strait and Baffin Bay (1818)
    The Journal of the Hakluyt Society February 2013 The Voyage of David Craigie to Davis Strait and Baffin Bay (1818) Transcribed and edited by C. Ian Jackson CONTENTS EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION Provenance 1 David Craigie, the presumed author 2 The State of the Text 4 The State of Arctic Whaling in 1818 4 The Renewal of Naval Exploration of Arctic Seas 5 Craigie’s Criticism of Whaling Practice 7 Craigie’s Wider Interest in Science 8 Craigie’s Prose Style 9 Editorial Practice 10 THE JOURNAL Account of a Voyage towards Baffin’s Bay. 1818 11–78 Provenance This manuscript was found in 2011 among the papers of a former president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. Dr David Craigie (1793–1866) had bequeathed his collection of medical books to the College, and at the same time seems to have acquired Craigie’s papers which are now preserved in its archives. When, in the course of her work, Ms Alison Scott, a professional archivist, came across the manuscript, she contacted the Hakluyt Society in search of information and to explore possible wider interest in the document. This request was referred to me because of my recent experience in editing William Scoresby’s whaling journals from the same period, and also because I had a particular interest in the Royal Navy’s exploration of Baffin Bay in 1818. 1 Few whaling logs or journals from that period have survived, compared to the large number of vessels engaged in the trade. When I had the opportunity to read the manuscript in Edinburgh in March 2012, it also became immediately evident that the journal was of still greater interest because it was written as an independent commentary on the voyage and contained rare criticism of the overall British whaling trade in Davis Strait and Baffin Bay.
    [Show full text]
  • (Ebsas) in the Eastern Arctic Biogeographic Region of the Canadian Arctic
    Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) Proceedings Series 2015/042 Central and Arctic Region Proceedings of the regional peer review of the re-evaluation of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) in the Eastern Arctic Biogeographic Region of the Canadian Arctic January 27-29, 2015 Winnipeg, MB Chairperson: Kathleen Martin Editor: Vanessa Grandmaison and Kathleen Martin Fisheries and Oceans Canada 501 University Crescent Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6 December 2015 Foreword The purpose of these Proceedings is to document the activities and key discussions of the meeting. The Proceedings may include research recommendations, uncertainties, and the rationale for decisions made during the meeting. Proceedings may also document when data, analyses or interpretations were reviewed and rejected on scientific grounds, including the reason(s) for rejection. As such, interpretations and opinions presented in this report individually may be factually incorrect or misleading, but are included to record as faithfully as possible what was considered at the meeting. No statements are to be taken as reflecting the conclusions of the meeting unless they are clearly identified as such. Moreover, further review may result in a change of conclusions where additional information was identified as relevant to the topics being considered, but not available in the timeframe of the meeting. In the rare case when there are formal dissenting views, these are also archived as Annexes to the Proceedings. Published by: Fisheries and Oceans Canada Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat 200 Kent Street Ottawa ON K1A 0E6 http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas-sccs/ [email protected] © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2015 ISSN 1701-1280 Correct citation for this publication: DFO.
    [Show full text]
  • Management Options in the LIA for Consideration and Comment by Inuit
    1 Management Options in the LIA For Consideration and Comment by Inuit June 2014 For Discussion Purposes Only 2 Title Page........................................................................................................................... 1 Table of Contents................................................................................................................ 2 Executive Summary............................................................................................................. 3 Introduction What is the LIA........................................................................................................ 4 A Changing Climate: Projected changes in sea ice extent......................................... 5 Why is the LIA important......................................................................................... 5 The arctic ecosystem and the LIA.................................................................. 5 Inuit and the LIA........................................................................................... 6 Report Purpose........................................................................................................ 6 Legislation and policy Nunavut.................................................................................................................. 7 Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (NLCA) ..................................................... 7 Nunavut Land Use Plan (NLUP).................................................................... 8 Greenland.........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Government of Greenland
    The Fifth National Report Greenland Ministry of Environment and Nature, Government of Greenland. 2014. The Fifth National Report. Design and layout: Courtney Price Cover photo: polar bear tracks: Carsten Egevang/ARC-PIC.com Table of Contents Executive Summary ......................................................................................4 Background and Information ....................................................................5 Update on biodiversity status, trends, and threats and implications for human well-being ...................................................6 Importance of biodiversity .................................................................................................................................................... 6 Major changes in the status and trends of biodiversity in Greenland ............................................................13 An example – pelagic fishes in Greenland waters .....................................................................................................13 An example - seabirds ............................................................................................................................................................14 An example – marine mammals ........................................................................................................................................16 The main threats to biodiversity ........................................................................................................................................19
    [Show full text]
  • State of Circumpolar Walrus Populations Odobenus Rosmarus
    REPORT WWF ARCTIC PROGRAMME State of Circumpolar Walrus Populations Odobenus rosmarus Prepared by Jeff W. Higdon and D. Bruce Stewart Published in May 2018 by the WWF Arctic Programme. Any reproduction in full or in part must mention the title and credit the above-mentioned pub- lisher as copyright holder. Prepared by Jeff W. Higdon1 and D. Bruce Stewart2 3, May 2018 Suggested citation Higdon, J.W., and D.B. Stewart. 2018. State of circumpolar walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) populations. Prepared by Higdon Wildlife Consulting and Arctic Biological Consultants, Winni- peg, MB for WWF Arctic Programme, Ottawa, ON. 100 pp. Acknowledgements Tom Arnbom (WWF Sweden), Mette Frost (WWF Greenland), Kaare Winther Hansen (WWF Denmark), Melanie Lancaster (WWF Canada), Margarita Puhova (WWF Russia), and Clive Tesar (WWF Canada) provided constructive review comments on the manuscript. We thank our external reviewers, Maria Gavrilo (Deputy Director, Russian Arctic National Park), James MacCracken (USFWS) and Mario Acquarone (University of Tromsø) for their many help- ful comments. Helpful information and source material was also provided by Chris Chenier (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources), Chad Jay (United States Geological Survey), Allison McPhee (Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada), Kenneth Mills (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources), Julie Raymond-Yakoubian (Kawerak Inc.), and Fernando Ugarte (Green- land Institute of Natural Resources). Monique Newton (WWF-Canada) facilitated the work on this report. Rob Stewart (retired - Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada) provided welcome advice, access to his library and permission to use his Foxe Basin haulout photo. Sue Novotny provided layout. Cover image: © Wild Wonders of Europe / Ole Joergen Liodden / WWF Icons: Ed Harrison / Noun Project About WWF Since 1992, WWF’s Arctic Programme has been working with our partners across the Arctic to combat threats to the Arctic and to preserve its rich biodiversity in a sustainable way.
    [Show full text]
  • LAST ICE AREA Similijuaq
    The LIA vision Making Progress ARCTIC MARINE LIFE NEEDS ICE The Canadian government has committed to “…explore options to protect the ‘last ice area’ within Canadian waters, in a way that ben- LAST ICE AREA A recent Arctic Council report (SWIPA, 2017) concluded that even 1 with effective action on limiting greenhouse gas emissions, the sea efits communities and ecosystems.” As part of this commitment, ice will shrink in terms of both the area it covers in the summer- the government identified areas it is considering for conservation time, and in terms of how long it lasts in the wintertime. As the sea northwest of Ellesmere Island. It is also working with local Inuit to Similijuaq ice disappears, the Last Ice Area will continue to provide a suitable complete a national marine conservation area, Tallurutiup Imanga, home for ice-associated life and the people who depend upon these covering most of Lancaster Sound. living resources. As climate change reduces the size and Inuit in Canada and Greenland are looking at the future man- About a quarter of the world’s polar bears live there, or near there. agement of an important feature in the region: the North Water duration of summer Arctic sea ice, scientific Most of the world’s narwhals spend at least part of the year there, polynya, called in Greenlandic the “Pikialasorsuaq.” A polynya is projections show it will last the longest and it is home to the largest breeding colonies of thick-billed murres an area of water that is ice-free in the winter due to wind and water and millions of little auks.
    [Show full text]