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MAGAZINE Slipping Through the Cracks 10 Species Affected by Receding Ice 12 No. 2 2013 THE CIRCLE Frozen Assets Up For Grabs? 18

PROTECTING THE LAST ICE AREA

PUBLISHED BY THE WWF GLOBAL PROGRAMME

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Credit information: Photo: Jeremy Stewart/Fisheries and 2 ity forunsolicitedmaterial. tion, andassumenoresponsibil- the righttoeditlettersforpublica- DGGUHVVRQWKHULJKW:HUHVHUYH and subscriptionqueriestothe of WWF. Sendchangeofaddress VDULO\UHÀHFWWKHYLHZVRUSROLFLHV DI¿OLDWHGVRXUFHVGRQRWQHFHV are encouraged. Articles bynon- quotation withappropriatecredit Programme. Reproductionand terly bytheWWFGlobal Arctic The Circleispublishedquar- Species affectedbyrecedingIce THE CIRCLE2.2013 The Circle THE RIANNON ALE GENEVIEVE CARR OKALIK EEGEESIAK BR - METTE FROST VICKI SAHANATIEN CLIVE TESAR IN BRIEF EDITORIAL Contents OAN EAMER 8 2.2013 ; NO TREMBLA 3 E ICT < KOKORIN 4 8 - Where iceislife RE

OHN 24 Resilience andtheLastIce Area Greenland: LivingtheLastIce Area ‡ CO ‡ R Managing offshoreoilandgasresourcesinCanada’s north Hu < The LastIce Area –thephysicalpicture Managing newinterestinCanada’s LastIce Area 8

8 8 RTNE P NE LANGHOFF p forgrabs an activitygreaterthreatthancli June, 2013. Date ofpublication: ISSN 2073-980X= The Circle Internet: www.panda.org/arctic Fax: +1613-232-4181 Tel: +1613-232-8706 Canada Ottawa ONK1P 5L4 Suite 400 30 MetcalfeStreet WWF Global Arctic Programme Publisher: <

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P XVUEUKYPYG R Q HYHU DQ WR PRYHG KDYH VXEVFULEHUV 9 oving forward Circle. Didyouknowmanyofour Printed bySt.JosephCommunications NHWLOOEHUJHU#¿OPIRUPQR Film &Form/KetillBerger, Design andproduction: (GLWRU%HFN\5\QRUEU\QRU#XQLVHUYHFRP [email protected] (GLWRULQ&KLHI&OLYH7HVDU P our costsandfootprint. for yourinterestin The ate change 16 18 Thank you 23 8 20 19 10 network.asp http://cases.quebec-ocean.ulaval.ca/ (CASES). Formoreinformation,see Canadian Arctic ShelfExchangeStudy under-side oftheseaiceaspart initiative sampledanddocumentedthe two metresof Arctic seaice. A DFO-led an ultra-sensitivelightmeterbeneath Territories, adivingspecialist positions ABOVE: InFranklinBay, Northwest Photo: BradBenter/USFWS. COVER: 28.06.13 16.28 EDITORIAL Where ice is life

FOR SOME, The Last Ice Area is a name that con- life. It is where they hunt and ¿sh, and how they jures the iconic, the adventurous, maybe even the travel. Arctic peoples will tell you there is a positive nostalgic. For others it is a call to action to protect psychological impact to getting out on the ice. And an area of summer ice above Arctic Canada and a negative effect when they can’t. Okalik Eegeesiak, Greenlandland projected to persist the longest in a president of the Qikiqtani Association writes undergoing unprecedented change. Still oth- that recent changes in the high Arctic are over- ers have said it conveys a sense of gloom for some- whelming for the average Inuk. thing we are on the verge of losing. There is a vast and intricate web of life in the All of these emotions and reactions could be apt. Last Ice Area – marine, terrestrial and bird species It depends on how you are experiencing The Last that use sea ice to migrate, mate, den, nest and give Ice Area – whether you are still learning about it, birth. Others use it as a place to socialize, eat or rest. living in it or analysing what is happening there and They will either adapt to receding attempting to formulate management and conser- sea ice, become prey of or displaced vation options. by new species This edition of The Circle THIS CANNOT ONLY moving north is your go-to guide about The BE A CONVERSATION as temperatures Last Ice Area project, begin- rise, or they will ning with what it is, where it ABOUT CLIMATE MODEL- be squeezed into is and why WWF settled on smaller habitats. ALEXANDER LING, STATISTICS AND SHESTAKOV is that particular name. An update on bio- DATA. THE LAST ICE the director of the We don’t pretend to have diversity in the far WWF Global Arctic all the data or all the answers. AREA IS ALSO AN EMO- north informed Programme. But we can present what the TIONAL DISCUSSION … by traditional eco- science and research tells logical knowledge us to date about how sea ice is also presented in this edition is receding, where and why. There are geographic by the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna, the and atmospheric reasons for summer sea ice biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council. congregating in the Canadian WWF’s role, as always, is to bring diverse com- and off the northernmost coast of Greenland as munities, interest groups, stakeholders and experts Bruno Tremblay at Canada’s McGill University will together to initiate discussion and facilitate strat- explain in his article about the physical picture of egizing. We recently did this at a Last Ice Area high latitude climate change. workshop in . That workshop and our report While critically important, this cannot only be on the discussions that ensued mark a milestone a conversation about climate modelling, statistics in what will be a lengthy, broad, but never boring and data. The Last Ice Area is also an emotional dialogue on this critically important Arctic region, discussion, and rightly so. For some people ice is regardless of what you choose to call it.

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TheCircle0213.indd 3 28.06.13 16.28 IN BRIEF

been re-routed following come into open conÀict,´ “We had a very strict posi- Industrial road intervention by WWF-. says WWF-Russia CEO, Igor tion at the beginning of the North-West Phosphoric Chestin, process, but after consulta- through proposed Company (NWPC) had NWPC planned to build tions with scientists, WWF planned to build a road the industrial road to unite and Kola Biodiversity Centre, Russian park through Khibiny, a national two ore deposits. The com- experts decided to change park scheduled to be created pany has now agreed to build the project concept,´ says re-routed in 2015. an underground mine and Vladimir Kunitsky, director “Thanks to the reasonable ore processing facility in an general of North-West Phos- A ROAD that would have position of the regional gov- area of young pine forest of phoric Company. bisected a planned national ernment, a compromise was lesser ecological value out- “From the environmental park in Russia’s Arctic has found and the process didn’t side of the planned park. point of view it’s the best alternative,´ says Victor Petrov, director of the Kola High Arctic research station saved Biodiversity Centre.

CANADA’S northernmost The Canadian gov- million each under the new research lab will continue ernment had earlier Climate Change and Atmo- Canada names operating after receiving a announced it would stop spheric Research (CCAR) new grant from the Cana- funding the research sta- program. new Chair of dian government. tion, creating alarm within PEARL has been track- The Polar Environment the international scien- ing ozone depletion, air Atmospheric Research ti¿c community. PEARL is quality and climate change Senior Arctic Laboratory (PEARL) in one of the northernmost in the High Arctic since Eureka, , will research stations in the 2005. It contributes data Officials receive 5 million over ¿ve world and one of very few to several international years. that contribute Arctic data environmental monitor- “That’s going to enable to networks of research ing projects through an us to keep the station stations that collect similar informal network of uni- running in a good cam- data around the world. versity researchers called paign mode for the whole The High Arctic research the Canadian Network for period,´ -im 'rummond, station, located at latitude 'etection of Atmospheric principal investigator for of 80 degrees north, was Change PEARL told the Canadian among seven projects that Broadcasting Corporation. will receive as much as $5

Patrick Borbey

The Polar Environment Atmos- 3ATRICK BORBE< will become pheric Research Laboratory on Chair of the Arctic Council’s . Senior Arctic Of¿cials for the Canadian Chairmanship from 2013-2015. Photo: CANDAC/Mariele Wolfe

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TheCircle0213.indd 4 28.06.13 16.28 “Mr. Borbey’s extensive experience working with Northerners will be a great asset in his role as the Chair of the Senior Arctic Of¿cials,´ said the Canadian Minister for the Arctic Council, Leona Aglukkaq. Borbey is currently president of the Canadian Northern Economic 'evelopment Agency. Before that, he served in several senior gov- ernment positions including Senior Assistant 'eputy Minister of Treaties and Aboriginal Government, and Assistant 'eputy Minister of Northern Affairs at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

Oil industry backs From whales to wakes away from arctic WWF HAS launched a new are preconditions for showing natural resources online mapping tool to sound management and and updated overviews of help people visualize the informed public debate activities like shipping or waters different activities and about natural values and oil drilling. It allows any RE8TERS News Agency values at play in the Arctic. human activities,´ says user to download pre- reports that energy compa- ArkGIS was launched to Nina -ensen, CEO of WWF made maps and videos, as nies are no longer ¿nding coincide with the Arctic Norway. The ArkGIS is a well as developing custom- the high Arctic as ¿nancially Council Ministerial meet- web based mapping sys- ized maps on their own, alluring. ing in April. “Everywhere tem, allowing anyone to using an interactive map Once the irresistible fron- in the world, good maps produce their own maps service www.arkgis.org tier for oil and gas explora- tion, the news agency says the Arctic is quickly losing its appeal as energy ¿rms ing their attention back to lion it has spent on the Arctic areas in the Arctic. Now we grow fearful of the ¿nancial more conventional resources since 2005. put our priorities into other and public relations risk of and the shale revolution. “The interest to develop areas, like Tanzania, Argen- working in the pristine icy The turning point likely oil and gas is very high, but tina and Texas. That is the wilderness. came last New Year’s Eve, nevertheless there is more logical development,´ he Reuters also reported that Reuters says, when Royal and more concern about said. while the Arctic may hold 13 'utch Shell’s drillship ran the environment and the percent of the world’s undis- aground in rough waters off risk part of it,´ said Harald covered oil and 30 percent of Alaska, setting off a public Norvik, a board member at its gas, a series of blunders relations storm that inÀicted ConocoPhillips and a former and failures there are mak- much pain on the ¿rm, made CEO of Statoil, a pioneer in ing executives wary of such a more acute by how little it the Arctic. sensitive area and are turn- had to show for the $4.5 bil- “We have been focusing on

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TheCircle0213.indd 5 28.06.13 16.28 BACKGROUND Resilience and the Last Ice Area

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TheCircle0213.indd 6 28.06.13 16.28 Clouds, ice and sea The Arctic is changing fast, and one of its fastest-changing ice in a in south- components is its sea ice. Since satellite records began, sea ern Greenland. Photo: NASA/Maria-Jose Viñas ice has been shrinking at a rate of about 11 per cent a year. Last year set a new low in recorded history. That trend is predicted to continue.

By Clive Tesar Canada’s high arctic islands and northern Greenland that is projected to remain The effects of shrinking sea ice and for decades after summer ice has mostly the changes to come are particularly gone from the rest of the Arctic . uncertain for Arctic ecosystems. Natural This led us to consider the area’s systems are very complex. Removing a potential importance to sustaining life major element of the system – summer associated with ice, and to the people sea ice – is likely to cause signi¿cant who live around and on that ice. The change. Some species are considered people of northern “ice obligate´, meaning they need sea ice Greenland and for , mating, nesting or migrat- ing. There is also “ice associated´ life talk about the that may not absolutely need sea ice, but importance of get- seems to make use of it. ting food from the is the This looming, largely climate-driven sea, and not just to CLIVE TESAR Last Ice Area pro- change and its impact on Arctic ecosys- feed their families. ject lead for WWF’s tems convinced WWF to focus on the Getting out on the Global Arctic Pro- concept of resilience. If change continues, ice provides cultural gramme and Head how can Arctic ecosystems best absorb continuity. It’s a that change" One of our ¿rst responses way of expressing of Communications was a project called RACER (Rapid and af¿rming their & External Rela- Assessment of Circumpolar Ecosystemic identities as Inuit tions. Resilience – see edition 01.12 of the whose history and Circle). RACER was designed in part to way of life is inti- help identify resilient features across mately connected to sea ice. the Arctic landscape. Researchers mod- Having established the likely impor- elling the future of Arctic sea ice have tance of this Last Ice Area underscored identi¿ed one such feature – a big chunk the need for more research to better of summer sea ice in an area covering de¿ne the future of the ice, and ³

Where is the Last Ice Area?

Q 7he Last Ice Area is de¿ned b\ future summer sea ice so it’s not a ¿xed place liNe an island or a mountain or Zatershed. 0ost sea ice mod- els agree there is a high probabilit\ that summer sea ice Zill remain in an area around Canada’s high Arctic islands and northern Greenland. That liNelihood is largel\ due to geograph\ Zith lots of relatiYel\ small chan- nels Zhere ice can get stucN and ocean currents that push ice aZa\ from Russia and sZirl it around in the Zestern part of the ocean aboYe 1orth America. We haYe de¿ned the stud\ area as north of Lancaster 6ound includ- ing communities on the north of %af¿n Island and on the Greenland side roughl\ north of the communit\ of 4aanaaT. We also fund research outside this area since Zhat is happening Zhere the sea ice is disappearing Zill also help inform the importance of the Last Ice Area.

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TheCircle0213.indd 7 28.06.13 16.28 ³ the effects of this future on animals, them into the discussion about the Last people, and entire ecosystems. This Ice Area since they have much of the would require more money than we had. required authority to make decisions on Two years ago Coca-Cola joined us in future management. a campaign called “Arctic Home´. The As we approach the end of our ¿rst company helped us raise money from year of project funding, we have con- individuals in Canada, the United States tributed to a variety of research, along and several European countries, then with government and other partners. Photo: WilliamLarned made a direct contribution to help fund Winter Àock of spectacled eiders. We have provided more detailed ice the project. modelling, and have begun to match up We engaged with local people to ask resilient sea ice, and how they thought how different species of animals might what they wanted to know about the it should be managed. We have also use that ice in the future. We have col- Last Ice Area, the future of this area of been talking to governments to bring lected traditional Inuit knowledge about Managing new interest in Canada’s Last Ice Area

By Vicki Sahanatien ern tip of Ellesmere Island. It is an conducting studies on land and in incredibly beautiful place and one of the , tourists arriving in cruise extremes, sometimes brimming with ships, polar expeditions, and oil and THE LAST ICE AREA of the Canadian life and other times silent and devoid gas seismic mapping. Many people high arctic is a vast region of islands of all but lichens. My last trip to the come and go each year but only the and ocean channels called the Arctic LIA was in March 2013. I was in Grise people of the communities (Ausuittuq Archipelago. On the east side are Fiord, with a 'epartment of Fisheries (), Qausuittuq (Resolute huge islands such as Ellesmere at and Oceans biologist, meeting with Bay), Iqpiarjuk () and Mit- 800 x 400 km with dramatic, tower- the Iviq Hunter and Trapper Orga- timatalik ()) remain year ing mountains, ¿ords, ice caps and nization to discuss, obtain approval, round, like their predecessors, the glaciers that spill into the sea. To the and begin planning the -ones Sound Thule, 'orset and Independence west, the archipelago islands are also movement study. March cultures. Inuit are concerned about relatively large but have topographies marks the return of long hours of day- how this burgeoning interest in the rolling with mesas, like the high light in the high arctic, a change from LIA will be managed and how wildlife plains and deserts of central North the 24 hours of darkness of winter. will be protected from the impacts of America. One of the de¿ning charac- The sun energizes people and ecosys- new and future human activities. One teristics of the entire archipelago is tems. On the bottom of the sea ice a of the primary tools for the future multi-year sea ice that survives the garden of algae was growing, powered management of the LIA will be the summer melt season, year after year. by the sunlight penetrating through Nunavut Land Use Plan, which is now It has different physical characteris- it. By March Inuit hunters were under development by the Nunavut tics than annual or seasonal sea ice travelling out further on the sea ice, Planning Commission. The Nunavut – it is much thicker, harder as it con- across -ones Sound to 'evon Island Land Use Plan is being developed in tains less salt, and its surface is rough for polar bears and to the Àoe edge for consultation with communities, gov- and hummocky. It is this sea ice that seals. While in Grise Fiord I learned ernment and the public. One of my is being lost as climate warming con- that -ones Sound is now comprised of main efforts this coming year will be tinues. We are working to understand only annual sea ice and its thickness to develop the LIA submission and how this last reach of multi-year sea in March 2013 was between 1.3 and coordinate WWF’s overall input into ice contributes to maintaining sea ice 1.4 metres. the land use planning process. dependent species during the sum- There is much human interest and mer season. activity in the Canadian high arctic I’ve travelled and worked through- and the LIA region: mineral explo- VICKI SAHANATIEN is the 6enior 2f¿c- out the western portion of the LIA ration, the Mars project on 'evon er GoYernment & Communit\ Rela- – from to the north- Island, the many research scientists tions WWF Arctic Program

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TheCircle0213.indd 8 28.06.13 16.28 the area, and how people and animals have used sea ice in the past. We have also contributed to baseline studies of Greenland: Living animal populations, including polar bears and narwhal. All of this will pro- vide the information necessary to future management of those species, and the the Last Ice Area entire Last Ice Area. As we continue to commission new research, this year will focus on polyn- By Mette Frost about sustainable development for yas, areas of ocean that stay open all future generations? Naaja Nathan- year round, and which are important ielsen, member of Inatsisartut/ feeding areas for many of the species MADS-OLE KRISTIANSEN is one of Greenland Parliament, says we that use the Last Ice Area. We will also 40 hunters in Qaanaaq, Greenland need to make sure we are talking continue our discussions with govern- who live off the ice and the living the same talk in what it means to ments and residents about potential resources harvested there. He made create a sustainable future. “When management initiatives, as we gather a lasting impression at the recent WWF says it is committed to liv- more evidence about the importance of Last Ice Area workshop in Iqaluit, ing in harmony with nature, I think this unique area. Nunavut, when he explained how most Inuit can relate to that idea climate change and loss of sea ice and that aim,´ she said. “But there affects his everyday life. The ice might be a difference in the way we forms later now, he says, making understand ‘living in harmony with What’s in a name? it impossible to travel safely with nature’. 'oes that mean ‘conserving’ Q The Last Ice Area conYe\s dogs and sledge in the spring and nature or does it mean ‘adapting’ to seYeral concepts and aYoids fall. For a community depending on nature? And this will greatly affect others. It doesn’t sa\ ³parN´ the sea ice for hunting, ¿shing and our approach to managing the ice or ³protected area´ or eYen travel between communities, climate changes. It is my hope that both ³refuge´. If Ze’re going to get change is dramatically inÀuencing sides will be willing to listen to the northerners and goYernments the livelihoods of people here. other even though we might end up talNing about hoZ best to man- Many strong words and visions realizing that we will never agree age the area Ze can’t start Zith were exchanged between work- completely.´ a set idea of hoZ it should be shop participants from Nunavut, Former speaker of the Greenland managed. We Zant to ensure Canada and Greenland. Adaptation Parliament and minister -osef Tuusi people understand the uniTue- to climate change can be abstract Motzfeldt also weighed in on the ness of the sea ice habitat. and theoretical when studied from importance of collaboration. “We HoZeYer a number of people a distance. For the communities may be a small society. But we are thought the name Zas gloom\. who depend on the sea and the sea not too small to care about the envi- A colleague in has sug- ice, adaptation to change is very ronment to secure the biodiversity,´ gested ³Lasting Ice Area´ might hands-on. Karl-Kristian Kruse, a he said. “And we are not too small haYe been a better choice and hunter from the small community to make an effort. These efforts as I haYe to agree. Lasting Ice of Niaqornat and member of Inat- well as active work in international Area better conYe\s the sense sisartut/Greenland Parliament was organizations are essential in order of hope and optimism of this succinct in his question directed at to maintain and strengthen the posi- project. It sa\s Zhile much of everyone in attendance: “how are we tion of the Arctic in the world.´ the Arctic is rapidl\ changing to adapt to these changes"´ there is one piece that is chang- There is much concern over the ing less. %ut Ze’Ye been calling potential consequences of new it the Last Ice Area for a couple industry on nature and the northern of \ears and I thinN changing environment. Clearly we need more the name noZ Zould just lead to research and study into the effects of METTE FROST is the WWF Denmark confusion. If \ou ¿nd the name seismic activities on Arctic wildlife. Last Ice Area project leader. gloom\ please pencil ³ing´ onto What do we mean when we talk the ³last´.

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TheCircle0213.indd 9 28.06.13 16.28 LIFE ON THE ICE Slipping through the cracks: life lin

Q ,t is one of the de¿ning features of the globe. )rom the dark waters of the Arctic 2cean, a vast white dome of ice emerges and caps the planet. It is a global regulator, a lifeline for local communities and an irreplaceable habitat for some of the most iconic and culturally signi¿cant species in the 1orth. Q Recent changes in Arctic sea ice cover – driven by rising air temperatures – have affect- ed the timing of ice break-up in spring and freeze-up in autumn, as well as the extent and type of ice in different areas. JOAN EAMER and CO8RTNE< 3RICE explain what that means to life on the ice.

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TheCircle0213.indd 10 28.06.13 16.28 Ice Amphipods attached narwhal), and/or high reliance on sea to ice crystals in Arctic ice for part of their life cycle (including coastal fast ice. polar bears and several seal species) are Photo:Shawn Harper particularly vulnerable. Given the dramatic changes seen in the Arctic, and the urgency to develop cal events such as plankton blooms and an adequate response, Conservation bird nesting, the amount of primary of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the production and the availability of open biodiversity working group of the Arctic water at different times of the year. Council, has published the Arctic Biodi- Such changes are expected to continue versity Assessment. This report contains and probably accelerate during the 21st the best available science informed by century, affecting the functioning of traditional ecological knowledge on the Arctic marine ecosystems. status and trends of Changes in ocean conditions also Arctic biodiversity, mean sub-Arctic species of algae, inver- and developed rec- tebrates, ¿sh, mammals and birds are ommendations for expanding northwards, while some policy. The report is Arctic-adapted species are losing habitat available in English, CO8RTNE< 3RICE is along the southern edges of their rang- Russian and Inukti- the Communications es. Of particular concern are ice-algae tut. CAFF is imme- 2I¿FHUDWWKH&RQVHU- communities, copepods and amphipods, diately following up YDWLRQRI$UFWLF)ORUD species that are vital to the healthy func- on this landmark and Fauna (CAFF), tioning of the Arctic marine food web. scienti¿c report WKHELRGLYHUVLW\ZRUN- Relationships among species are chang- with the publication ing group of the Arctic ing too, with new predation pressures of a more in depth Council. and shifts in diets recorded for some report on sea ice- animals. associated biodiver- For human settlements adjacent to sity, the Life Linked Arctic seas, negative impacts on health, to Ice report. This culture and economies are expected to document, to be result from the impairment of harvest- released in autumn ing ice-associated species. On the other 2013, will act as a hand, increases in marine productiv- reference for policy ity and range extensions by southern makers and pres- JOAN EAMER is a sci- organisms, especially commercial ent four recom- ence writer and bio- inked to ice ¿sh species, should present new eco- mendations for an GLYHUVLW\VSHFLDOLVWLQ nomic opportunities. However, new and informed and Àex- SROOXWLRQSUHYHQWLRQ expanded activities related to resource ible policy response HQYLURQPHQWDOPRQL- extraction, shipping, ¿sheries, and for Arctic ecosys- toring and assess- cruise-ship tourism carry substantive tem conservation ment, co-manage- risks to Arctic marine Àora and fauna. and management. PHQWDQGELRGLYHUVLW\ OVERALL M8LTI-

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TheCircle0213.indd 11 28.06.13 16.28 SPECIES AFFECTED BY RECEDING ICE Protecting high A

By Tony Gaston

ONE OF THE MOST OBVIO8S and well documented features of climate warming has been the northward movement of many animals and plants. Moose, grizzly Photo: Michael Cameron, NOAA. bears, hummingbirds and robins have all been reported hundreds of kilometres north of their normal range in recent years, often to the surprise of northern residents who are unfamiliar with them. This is a natural reaction to climate change: various species are pushing into By Shawn Dahle water resulting in reduced accu- areas that were previously unsuitable for mulation by spring. Ringed seals them and in some cases providing a wel- require snowdrift depths of at least come change of diet for locals. Less obvi- RINGED SEALS are the smallest and 50-65 cm for their birth lairs. Such ous, but critical from the conservation most widely distributed of the six depths typically occur where 20-30 viewpoint is the impact these immigrants ice-associated seal species in the cm or more of snow falls and is drift- will likely have on the ecosystems they Arctic. These seals require ice habi- ed along pressure ridges or ice hum- invade, where they compete with high tat to perform their annual cycles of mocks. By the end of this century, Arctic residents for limited resources. reproduction and molting, and rarely snow cover is projected to be insuf- Ultimately, competition from southern haul out on shore. Ringed seals are ¿cient for the formation and occupa- invaders will likely be as big a threat to uniquely adapted to inhabiting areas tion of birth lairs throughout most Arctic animals as changes in the weather. of solid ice by maintaining breathing of the ringed seal’s range. Without Canada’s high Arctic islands support holes with strong claws on their fore- the protection of lairs, ringed seals a very diverse mammal fauna includ- Àippers. They often excavate small – especially newborns – will be vul- ing Arctic hare, , Peary caribou, caves, or lairs, in snowdrifts over nerable to freezing and predators. ermine, wolverine, wolf and two genera their breathing holes in which they 'ue to the link between ice cover of lemmings. The dispersal of these ani- whelp and nurse their pups . and snow accumulation, the “last mals among the islands has been aided Ice loss is expected to be greatest ice area´ north of Greenland and the – most of the year – by the presence of in the summer and autumn months Canadian Archipelago is where snow sea ice. when ringed seals’ use of ice – pri- cover suitable for ringed seals will With the increasing length of the open marily for resting between foraging likely persist the longest. water season, crossing between islands trips – is at a minimum. The greatest will become harder, especially during the impact to this species from reduced important spring and fall dispersal sea- SHAWN DAHLE is a biologist at the ice cover will be diminished snow sons. Under most conditions, this reduc- NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Cent- accumulation on ice. Winter precipi- tion in connectivity might be seen as a er’s National Marine Mammal Laborato- tation is forecasted to increase in a problem for conservation, isolating local ry in Seattle, Washington. His research warming Arctic; however, as the ice populations and leaving them more vul- focuses on monitoring and assessing forms progressively later in autumn, nerable to extinction through inbreeding the status of seal populations in Alaska. much of the snow will fall into open and random climatic events. No doubt

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TheCircle0213.indd 12 28.06.13 16.28 h Arctic terrestrial fauna Photo: Paul Nicklen/National Geographic Stock / WWF-Canada Young Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi), Canada.

that will affect the smaller islands. How- We can be proactive in this process after many farther south have ever, in the case of Canada’s high Arctic by initiating policies to reduce the morphed towards sub-Arctic ecosys- islands, increasing isolation could reduce likelihood of southern mammals being tems. There is generally little that can the probability that southern mammals, introduced north of Parry Channel, be done on the ground to protect Arctic such as voles, snowshoe hare and barren using approaches currently in place biodiversity against global warming, but ground caribou will cross the North- for Antarctica and for many isolated creating a refuge for high Arctic mam- west Passage and penetrate to Bathurst islands such as the Galapagos. In the mals in Canada’s north might just be 'evon, Ellesmere and other islands longer term, the Canadian high Arc- one useful step. which currently support a typically high tic islands could become the primary Arctic assemblage of species. There is the refuge for Arctic mammals. This could TON< GASTON is a Research Scientist with potential for Canada’s high Arctic islands be abetted by proximity to the Last Ice (QYLURQPHQW&DQDGDVSHFLDOL]LQJLQWKH to become a refuge for species likely to region, which will continue to confer a HFRORJ\RI$UFWLFYHUWHEUDWHV be eliminated elsewhere. cool climate on most of the archipelago

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TheCircle0213.indd 13 28.06.13 16.28 SPECIES AFFECTED BY RECEDING ICE Sea ice as habitat for Last Ice Area Arctic marine birds last hope for Mark Mallory Polar bears

SEA ICE FORMS a critical component of the habitat Arctic seabirds rely on annually for feeding and survival. Although they don’t nest on ice – with the exception of some Ivory Gulls which nest on ice islands – they do rely on ice edges, ice leads, and polynyas or open stretches of water surrounded by ice as key for-

aging locations. This is especially Photo: Mark Mallory true early in the season when they Thick-billed murre provide the only open water near breeding colonies. hatching to keep pace. The conse- These areas support higher pro- quence is that rates of chick growth ductivity of marine foods and con- are reduced, as is adult body mass centrate food around ice edges. As (an index of physical condition). The well, these openings in the ice allow effect of this will likely be reduced birds (especially the guillemots) to survival and ultimately declines in dive and exploit the zooplankton local populations. There may also and Arctic cod communities living be increased incursions of potential on the underside of the ice. Seabirds competitors, such as Razorbills into also rely on the sea ice as a platform their breeding range. for pair-bonding and other social Arctic seabirds are adapted to tol- activities, to escape from marine erate and exploit the opportunities predators, and for resting. provided by sea ice habitat. Conse- We are already seeing the effects quently, if we lose that sea ice, we Andrew Derocher of the loss of sea ice on seabirds should expect populations of Arctic in some regions. For example, seabirds to be reduced, and perhaps thick-billed murres (Brunnich’s replaced by more subarctic species. 3OLAR BEARS rely on the presence and guillemots) are foraging less on ice- characteristics of sea ice as the surface associated Arctic cod and more on from which they hunt, travel, migrate, DR MARK MALLOR< is a Canada capelin, a species typical of subarctic mate, and sometimes den. Polar bears 5HVHDUFK&KDLUDW$FDGLD8QLYHU- waters that provides less energy per and their primary prey – ringed seals and VLW\1RYD6FRWLD+HOHDGVWHDPVRI unit body mass. Ice is clearing out bearded seals – only exist where there researchers and students that assess near some colonies almost three is suf¿cient sea ice. The life history of WKHHIIHFWVRIDQWKURSRJHQLFDFWLYLWLHV weeks earlier in the year, creating polar bears is made possible by their diet on marine bird populations in Arctic an earlier peak in food supplies, and dominated by energy-rich seal blubber. Canada. murres cannot advance their date of While polar bears are often found on

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TheCircle0213.indd 14 28.06.13 16.28 TheCircle0213.indd 15 ment extinct. Weknowthisfroman“experi period istoolong,thebearsgolocally survive theice-freeperiod.If fat storedduringthepreviousspringto restrial areasispaltry.Thebearsrelyon summer, thenutritionalinputfromter- land whentheirprimaryhabitatmeltsin terrestrial liketheirgrizzlybear ances bears remain.Theydidn’tbecome more didn’t makeit.Todayonlyfossilizedpolar and ringedsealspersistbutthebears Some seaiceformsthereeachwinter, Baltic Seaattheendoflasticeage. ´ some10,000yearsagointhe - - hope istheLastIceArea.Itunclear century. Fortheotherthird,their best in globalpolarbearabundancebymid- to datepredictsatwo-thirdsreduction populations decline.Thebestanalysis reproduction andsurvival.Ultimately stored fatthatresultsinbothlowered the fastingperiod.Thenetresultisless tances travelledto reduces accesstoseals,mayincreasedis bears beginswithlossofseaicethat sea ice.Thechainofchangeforpolar bears couldn’tsurvivewithoutenough tors andeatgooseeggsorberries.Polar ¿ nd foodandlengthen - on polarbears. understanding theeffects ofclimatechange Canada. Hiscurrentresearchfocuseson ORJLFDOVFLHQFHVDWWKH8QLYHUVLW\RI$OEHUWD ANDREW DEROCHER relative totheecologyofbears. as weexploretheicepatternsinarea area, the little isknownaboutthebearsinthis ice andenoughsealstosurvive.While Ice Areabutthebearsmay how manybearsmaysurviveintheLast ¿ rst insightsarecomingtolight isaprofessorofbio-

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Photo: Andrew Derocher THE STATE OF THE ICE The Last Ice Area – the physical The Arctic has recently wit- nessed four record low, minimum sea ice extents at the end of the summer in the last decade. As BR8NO TREM- BLA< tells us, the minimum sea ice extent has declined by approximately 40 per cent between 2003 and 2012, an area more than twice the surface area of , Can- ada’s largest province.

THE SEA ICE VOL8ME in the Arctic Ocean has also declined. Thick multi-year ice that is 5 years or older covered nearly 25 per cent of the September surface area in the early eighties. It has almost dis- appeared with a combination of model and observational data showing a loss of September sea ice of approximately 75 per cent. A summer ice- free Arctic is expect- ed to occur within a few decades in BR8NO TREMBLA< is the northern part a Professor in McGill of the Canadian 8QLYHUVLW\¶V'HSW Arctic Archipelago. of Atmospheric and The region immedi- Oceanic Sciences. His ately to its north is is moving offshore under the effect of The Gyre is a wind-driven ocean current research focuses on expected to main- dominant winds, keeping the ice in this located in the polar region of the Arctic high latitude climate tain a summer sea region relatively thin at about 1 meter. Ocean and contains both ice and water. change and the future ice cover until well Along the northern coast of the Cana- Here sea ice can grow to thicknesses of RIVHDLFHFRYHULQD into the 21st cen- dian Arctic Archipelago and Greenland, several meters or even tens of meters. warming world. This tury. Arctic sea ice sea ice originating from the Eurasian The dominant wind patterns respon- article is based on his cover does not have coastline is pushed against the conti- sible for this sea ice circulation are not ZRUNZLWK'DYLG+XDUG the same thick- nent by the same dominant winds and expected to change in a warmer world. ness everywhere. can circulate within the Arctic Ocean Therefore, global climate models indi- Along the Eurasian proper for several years – sometimes cate sea ice will persist in the region coastline, sea ice decades – as part of the Beaufort Gyre. north of the Canadian Arctic Archi-

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TheCircle0213.indd 16 28.06.13 16.28 Ice extent and ocean circulation

Median ice extent 1979-2000 March September

Main sea ice circulation features l picture BG The Map Beaufort Gyre. TPD Transpolar Drift Stream.

Background map is the 2007 ice extent A nascent iceberg breaks off map, courtesy of the National Snow Pine Island Glacier's calving and Ice Data Center. front. Icebergs in this area of the most often rise between 150 and 200 feet above the water surface. Adapted from Polyak et al., 2010

Canadian coastline transits through This leads to a seasonal cycle in ice the archipelago and melts at lower lati- extent with relatively smaller loss in the tude during the summer. Results from fall, winter and spring and a larger loss a higher resolution regional ice-ocean in the summer.

Photo: NASA/Maria-José Viñas model show a more dynamic sea ice The models do show that the ice cover pelago where the ice is thicker. Most of drift pattern, resulting in a complete can come back, if greenhouse gas emis- the Paci¿ c sector of the Arctic has been disappearance of sea ice within the Last sions are reduced and their levels in ice-free at the end of the summer since Ice Area and rapid decline even in the the atmosphere decline. For instance, 2007 – cutting the recirculation of thick winter maximum extent by the end of if early and forceful actions on reduc- multi-year ice north of the CAA within the 21st century. ing carbon dioxide emission are put in the Beaufort Gyre providing a new ef¿ - The length of the ice-free season place – stabilizing carbon dioxide levels cient mechanism for multi-year loss. however is short – from approximately somewhere close to those found in the But global climate models tend to August to October. -ust a few months 1980’s (350 ppm) – the summer sea ice be conservative and underestimate the after the sea ice minimum, the sea ice extent stabilizes at approximately 4.5 recent trend in sea ice decline. In the returns rapidly but remains thinner million square kilometers (the level of real world, thick sea ice north of the than in the late 20th century climate. sea ice extent in 2007).

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TheCircle0213.indd 17 28.06.13 16.28 ECONOMICS Up for grabs? Inuit and climate change Rich resources are said to be lying beneath the ice-covered land and sea of the Arctic. With climate change and ice retreating at a record pace, those resources may be that much more within reach especially if an ice-free 1orthwest 3assage becomes a new year- round shipping route. But whose reach? Inuit leader OKALIK EEGEESIAK says the world has been eyeing the Arctic’s frozen treasure chest for some time now. She says these resourc- es are not up for grabs for just anyone to take as they please.

THE 8NCERTAIN consequences of climate in any decisions about developing the Inuit have been in the Arctic since change still need to be weighed and Arctic and our future in a changing cli- before planes, trains and automobiles. measured. For now, it is my job to say mate. Our ancestors’ resilience and ingenuity the Inuit deserve ensured our survival. But in the last a strong presence 100-150 years, we have undergone and a loud voice at a revolution, enduring vast social, the decision table FOR THE AVERAGE economic and political change. Climate about what happens change is an added stress and is very in the Arctic today INUK, CLIMATE CHANGE much seen and felt in our daily life, OKALIK EEGEESIAK is and into the future. especially by hunters. These hunters President of Qikiqtani IS AN OVERWHELM- Inuit are not against feed our families, teach our young the Inuit Association development but we ING CONCEPT. essence of sharing and strengthen our have to be involved ancient tradition of a hunter-gatherer society in the modern world. Long before scientists and environmentalists began talking about climate change, Inuit of the circumpolar regions were seeing and experiencing changes to their environment – thinning ice, shifting seasons, unpredictable weather patterns, new species of animals and signi¿cantly warmer temperatures. For the average Inuk, climate change is an overwhelming concept. The subject is so complex and the solutions seem to be so out of reach. Climate change is mainly caused by the richest nations on with billions of people living in them. The Inuit of the world are a small population. We do not have the numbers to effectively inÀuence the national policies of the countries we live in. Sometimes we feel like mosquitoes trying to get the attention of elephants. Photo: QIA/Communications. We are concerned. We want to A fuel supply ship anchors off the coast of . understand the consequences of climate

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TheCircle0213.indd 18 28.06.13 16.28 ECONOMICS change and be part of the efforts to mitigate it. But we also have to deal with the realities of daily life in the Canadian Arctic. How can I feed my family this week? Will my children be able to keep a Managing offshore roof over their heads? How can we keep up with the cost of living that keeps growing by leaps and bounds? Inuit have survived in the Arctic oil and gas resources through millennia by adapting our lives to the environment and the wildlife on which we depend. We must, once again, adapt to the changing landscape, new in Canada’s north weather patterns, new species, changing seasons, and conÀicting or non-effective It is estimated that one third of Canada’s remaining con- policies. This includes mitigating the ventional natural gas and light crude oil reserves are in the efforts of animal rights movements, 1orth. which play upon emotion rather than facts. Imagine the messaging if one GENEVIÈVE CARR says under its 1orthern Strategy, the *ov- of these movements used an Inuk or ernment of Canada is working to improve regulatory sys- Inuit as its poster child instead of the tems and invest in infrastructure to attract industry to the cute seal pup and the majestic . If Inuit had a fraction of the 1orth. It also wants to ensure development happens sus- budget of some of these animal rights tainably with 1ortherners directly bene¿tting from eco- organizations, we would be in a better nomic growth. position to work with our partners to advance our rights and interests. 'ecades ago, Aboriginal leaders THE MANAGEMENT of oil and gas resourc- correspond to the level of activity in any in Canada started telling southern es in the northern offshore is a federal given region. For example, AAN'C has governments and societies their way responsibility carried out by Aboriginal been offering oil and gas rights in the of life was not sustainable. We told Affairs and Northern 'evelopment for them they were going to destroy the Canada (AAN'C), in collaboration with more than two environment if they did not change the territorial and Aboriginal governments. decades. Private way things were done. We told you and AAN'C manages matters related to sector and gov- you didn’t listen. The consequences of land, royalty and bene¿ts, whereas the ernment research climate change and how we learn to National Energy Board takes the lead programs, along GENEVIÈVE CARR adapt can best be understood through regulatory role in approving operations. with decades works with the a combination of Inuit traditional AAN'C engages early and often with of oil and gas Northern Petroleum knowledge and modern science. So start local communities, regional Aboriginal exploration in Resources Direc- listening. organizations, territorial and federal the region, have torate of Aboriginal government departments, regulators resulted in a well- Affairs and North- and international organizations to sup- developed under- HUQ'HYHORSPHQW port responsible development of oil and standing of the Canada. gas resources in the North. This contrib- regional ecosys- utes to ensuring preparedness among tem, geology and SOMETIMES WE FEEL stakeholders for offshore oil and gas physical operat- LIKE MOSQUITOES TRY- activities. It also facilitates participation ing environment of the Beaufort Sea. Full in resource development and access to engagement with Inuvialuit in regional ING TO GET THE ATTEN- potential bene¿ts, while creating ef¿- planning and decision-making has also ciencies for industry and regulators. tapped into traditional knowledge held TION OF ELEPHANTS. AAN'C’s activities to prepare for oil by local hunters and trappers, and broad- and gas exploration and development ened our understanding of the region.

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TheCircle0213.indd 19 28.06.13 16.28 MICRO STUDY: Human activity

The Last Ice Area is not the only place WW) is looking for evidence of resilience to climate change. As part of an Arctic-wide focus on resilience we have also looked at other Photo: NASA / Michael Studinger Photo: NASA Ice covered fjord on Baf¿n Island with in the background. There is sites, large and small, such growing oil industry interest in the area as Vaigach Island off Russia’s

Federal research programs such as the signi¿cant discovery licence following Arctic Coast. Analyzing the Environmental Studies Research Funds exploration drilling. However, these effects of climate change on and the Program of Energy Research and rights do not guarantee an operator’s one distinct piece of the Arctic 'evelopment continue to generate new ability to drill; the operator must still knowledge in exploration areas. seek approval for its proposed opera- is a unique challenge. ALEXE< In response to renewed exploration tions from the National Energy Board. KOKORIN reports it can also net interest and investment in the Beaufort Initial planning is underway for a surprising results, as discov- Region, the Beaufort Regional Envi- strategic environmental assessment ronmental Assessment was launched (SEA) in Canada’s Eastern Arctic off- ered by research supported in 2011. This is a four-year partnership shore to inform government decisions by the Russian Ministry of among Inuvialuit, industry, govern- around issuing oil and gas rights in Education and Science, (proj- ments, regulators and academia to the region. This assessment will also strengthen the environmental and involve full stakeholder engagement to ect 14.802.21.0 and WW) socio-cultural knowledge base for oil address the challenges and opportuni- Russia. and gas activity in the Beaufort Sea. For ties of oil and gas exploration. Lessons example, research is underway to bet- learned from resource development in ter understand, quantify and predict sea other parts of Canada and abroad will SINCE 1976, temperatures in European ice dynamics, thickness and strength of be incorporated into this strategic envi- Russia have increased by 2ƒC, signi¿- deformed multi-year ice, and extreme ice ronmental assessment. Scienti¿c and cantly higher than the global average features. Research ¿ndings will contrib- traditional Inuit knowledge will also be increase of 0.6°C and central Rus- ute to the improved design of offshore used to examine risks of potential oil sia’s average structures and better ice management and gas activity to the region’s natural increase of practices to ultimately prevent oil spills. and social environment. Ultimately, this 1.5°C. The There has been no rights issuance in will ensure exploration rights, if they are Voeikov Main Canada’s Eastern Arctic offshore region issued, are issued responsibly and with Geophysical of Baf¿n Bay/'avis Strait since the the best available information. ALEXE< KOKORIN Observatory 1970s.However, exploration in neigh- Exploration timelines for offshore oil is a director with the also estimates bouring Greenlandic waters to the East and gas are long. It is not unreasonable Climate and Energy that the next and the Sea to the South, as to expect up to twenty years between programme of WWF 30-50 years well as an application to the National when AAN'C ¿rst issues exploration 5XVVLDDQG1REHO3UL]H will see tem- Energy Board to conduct a two-dimen- rights to possible development of a winner for his research peratures in sional, seismic survey in Baf¿n Bay, signi¿cant discovery. That time will be and report for the Inter- Russia rising indicate growing interest in the area. Oil used to continue identifying and ¿lling JRYHUQPHQWDO3DQHORQ nearly two and gas companies must ¿rst be granted knowledge gaps to further contribute to Climate Change. times more exclusive exploration rights from overall readiness for resource develop- than those in AAN'C in order to be able to secure a ment. the rest of the

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TheCircle0213.indd 20 28.06.13 16.28 ty greater threat than climate change

Vaigach Island.

world. Increases in the Russian Arctic graphic materials, and scienti¿c litera- a much more serious threat to ecosys- could be 4-6°C higher. ture have also been analyzed. tems and are expected to nearly double To examine how climate change will The results indicate ecosystems sub- in frequency in the next 30 years along affect the Arctic, researchers chose stantially resistant to climate change. with other dangerous climatic events. Vaigach Island off Russia’s northern Much of the island is hard limestone, In March 2013, for example, more than coast between the Kara and Barents Seas. so thermokarst (marsh caused by thaw- 500 domestic reindeer starved to death This small island is just 105 kilometers ing permafrost) thermal erosion and on a nearby island because they couldn’t long and 44 kilometers wide. The sole soliÀuction (the gradual slide of wet soil break through ice to forage. A thick settlement, Varnek, is home to only 106 down slopes) are only slowly wearing layer of snow crust usually indicates people, mostly Nenets, an Indigenous away the coastline. In the next 30 years climate instability when a thaw period population of the Arctic . A large the sea level will not rise higher than 0.5 is followed by a frost. The consequences part of the island is a nature reserve. meters, which is not critical for a rocky are even worse if accompa- Since 2010, this project has explored island with cliffy coastline. Permafrost nies thaw and frost. Herd death on this the Àora, fauna, impacts from people melting will increase swampy areas and scale has not been seen since 1972 but a and cultural artifacts, as well as polar reduce lichen, spurring the growth of warmer, damper climate with more fre- bear and Atlantic populations on other types of vegetation. quent temperature changes could result Vaigach. Remote probing data, carto- Windstorms (40 m/sec or more) are in increased animal mortality through-

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TheCircle0213.indd 21 28.06.13 16.28 While the locals primarily harvest WWF PERSPECTIVE HUMAN ACTIVITY ON ¿sh, marine mammals are also target VAIGACH ISLAND POSES species. Ringed seal are hunted to feed working dogs. Apart from hunting, the A GREATER THREAT disturbance factor is dangerous for because they panic and stam- pede for water when people approach. Building Given their number and overcrowding, out the region. the death of some animals is inevitable. Polar bears were found to be quite Fortunately, the main rookeries are resistant to the impacts of climate in the north-west of the island, where trust, change on Vaigach because they don’t hunters and tourists are rare. den here and only pass through during The demand for polar bear pelts is migration. Reduced ice coverage of the quite high and poaching – while risky Barents Sea and a longer ice-free season – is very pro¿table. On Vaigach, poten- moving is much worse for polar bears, forcing tial poachers include locals, sailors on them to swim greater distances, push- passing boats or tourist-hunters. In ing them to exhaustion. Walruses use the absence of controls to detect and shingle beaches and littoral zones for prevent pelt exports from the island, rookeries and have naturally adapted to WWF and the Marine Mammals Council forward changing rookeries from one storm to established bear patrols with local resi- another. Wild reindeer are rarely seen dents to protect and monitor the ani- and only in the north of Vaigach Island, mals. More effective would be upgrad- By Riannon John and when they migrate from nearby Novaya ing the Nature Reserve to a National Rune Langhoff Zemlya Island. Potential reduction of Park to provide better protection and deeryard (lichen) caused by increas- allow more research into rare species THEO IK8MMA4 says he and other resi- ing swamp formation is not signi¿cant and ecosystems. dents of Igloolik – a small island off the enough to endanger the reindeer popu- The residents of Vaigach are also coast of Baf¿n Island – have travelled lation. vulnerable to climate change. If build- the same routes over sea ice for decades Vaigach Island is also home to more ings are not damaged by storms wearing to hunt, ¿sh, and visit other communi- than one hundred bird species. Storms away sea coast, thawing permafrost, ties. But in recent years that ice has destroy bird nests on sea cliffs and can or thermokarst, gale force winds could become unstable, unsafe and unpredict- cause total nestling loss, but the natu- destroy the settlement. able. ral sustainability of bird populations Climate change provides good pros- He told participants at the Last Ice ensures their recovery in the absence of pects for oil and gas development in the Area workshop in -une how the tightly- other threats. Arctic. An ice-proof, stationary platform knit community has recently lost two Historically, the Nenets did not settle has already been established in the Bar- lives as well as many snowmobiles to on Vaigach Island, but used it as a sanc- ents Sea but a spill would see 8-10,000 polynyas – areas of open water sur- tuary for traditional sacramental rites. tons of oil Àow into the sea. Oil spill rounded by sea ice – “because they Settlement only occurred in the 1920s modeling shows Vaigach Island would didn’t know they were there.´ It was a with the accompanying human activi- be right in its path and all its coastal poignant testimonial to how the Arctic ties that threaten ecosystems: hunting ecosystems seriously endangered. is changing and how those changes are and ¿shing; domestic reindeer grazing; These climate change impacts affecting the way Inuit communities use land¿lls; human disturbance and pro- observed on Vaigach Island obviously sea ice, something that is core to their posed oil production in the Pechora Sea. contribute both favourably and unfa- traditional way of life. The domestic reindeer herd on vourably to the evolution of the local Others attending the workshop relat- Vaigach is over 1,500 animals. Poten- ecosystems. While natural sustainability ed similar changes and raised important tial increase in swamp formation will of the populations is currently suf¿cient questions. What happens as the Arctic reduce lichen, the basic winter forage so to preserve all objects of Àora and fauna, sea ice melts? How do we take care of reindeer will have to graze on a larger human activity on Vaigach Island poses the resilient areas where this sea ice will territory, including the nature reserve. a greater threat to both animal and last the longest? Restricting herd sizes would help pre- plant species and ecosystems in general, Ikummaq was among those who gath- vent damage to the ecosystems in the than the climate change observed or ered in Iqaluit to address those ques- protected area. projected for the next 30 years. tions along with representatives from

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TheCircle0213.indd 22 28.06.13 16.29 Theo Ikummaq speaking at the Last Ice Area Workshop, Iqaluit, June 2013 Photo WWF/ Riannon John

Inuit associations, northern communi- happen in shipping. Now I know there different players of the Arctic.´ ties, government and non-governmental are more ships coming up in the future, Theo Ikummaq agrees the meetings organizations, and Arctic scientists. The which will have signi¿cant effect on our were helpful, but he wants more Inuit WWF-hosted workshop, building on sea mammals and lifestyles. Now, we involvement. “The climate is changing, meetings in Nuuk, Greenland in -anu- can talk about it and how we can keep but to what extent we don’t really know. ary 2012, was designed to share research our traditions and lifestyles. Now we We’re the ones having to live through and local perspectives to begin discus- can negotiate with those different com- it. We need to make suggestions about sions on managing this critical region of panies.´ what research could happen, help resilient sea ice, the Last Ice Area. “We need to build trust,´ said Pat design the research, Canadian and Greenlandic govern- Netser, 'irector of Regional Affairs for and participate in RIANNON JOHN is ment representatives gave presentations Health Canada. “We Inuit have lived it.´ a communications on oil and gas exploration and mining here for thousands of years. We have a 'ata from the specialist for WWF development in and near the Last Ice really strong connection to nature and Iqaluit workshop Canada. Area, and how their governments intend changing weather patterns. We always will be used to to manage those ventures. Opportuni- have it in the back of our minds how determine those ties and risks were vigorously discussed things have changed, and we have to next steps. R8NE LANGHOFF is with many workshop participants living adapt to that.´ He liked how the work- “Our goal for DSUHVVRI¿FHUIRU in communities that could be directly shop brought together delegates from the meeting was to WWF-Denmark. affected by these projects asking for a Nunavut and Greenland. “We in Nuna- begin the conversa- more in-depth exploration of the sub- vut are very closely linked to Greenland. tion about manage- ject. Other experts spoke to how spe- They’re sharing some of the challenges ment options for ci¿c countries are addressing change in we see with the ice melting. It’s good to the Last Ice Area,´ says project lead the Arctic, raising questions about how have a different perspective.´ Clive Tesar. “Now we need to outline the governments and communities can bet- That resonated with Ane Hansen, a possibilities and explore their advantag- ter communicate and coordinate. member of Greenland’s committee on es and disadvantages. It is critical that Caleb Sangoya of Pond Inlet, Nuna- ¿sheries. “I’m very pleased this work- we work closely with stakeholders. We’ll vut, found discussions on shipping par- shop showed that there is a common also connect with workshop participants ticularly relevant. understanding between hunters and and those who couldn’t join us to get “It seems to me, before I came up scientists,´ she said. “I’m happy that their input as we move forward.´ here, that our future was foggy,´ he said. WWF spends some of its resources on “We didn’t know what was going to bridging the gaps that exist and uniting

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TheCircle0213.indd 23 28.06.13 16.29 Return WWF Global Arctic Programme 30 Metcalfe St, Suite 400, Ottawa ON K1P 5L4, CANADA

THE PICTURE The first arctic oil tanker

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THE SS MANHATTANZDVDQRLOWDQNHUFRQVWUXFWHGDWWKH)RUH5LYHU6KLS\DUGLQ4XLQF\0DVVDFKXVHWWVWKDW EHFDPHWKH¿UVWFRPPHUFLDOVKLSWRFURVVWKH1RUWKZHVW3DVVDJHLQ+DYLQJEHHQEXLOWDVDQRUGLQDU\ WDQNHULQVKHZDVUH¿WWHGIRUWKLVYR\DJHZLWKDQLFHEUHDNHUERZLQ5HJLVWHUHGLQWKH8QLWHG 6WDWHVDWWKHWLPHVKHZDVWKHODUJHVW86PHUFKDQWYHVVHODVZHOODVWKHELJJHVWLFHEUHDNHULQKLVWRU\7KH 0DQKDWWDQUHPDLQHGLQVHUYLFHWLOO$IWHUDQDFFLGHQWLQ(DVW$VLDVKHZDVVFUDSSHGLQ&KLQD

Why we are here To stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

www.panda.org/arctic

TheCircle0213.indd 24 28.06.13 16.29