Development in the Arctic

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Development in the Arctic Take ourWin reader a WWF survey: Arctic panda.org/thecircle gift pack! MAGAZINE Working together 9 No. 1 A wave of investment 16 2018 THE CIRCLE Energy in a changing north 20 WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE ARCTIC? PUBLISHED BY THE WWF ARCTIC PROGRAMME THE CIRCLE 1.2018 WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE ARCTIC? Contents EDITORIAL Change: the big picture 3 IN BRIEF 4 JANET PAWLAK Snow, water, ice and permafrost 6 CINDY DICKSON Working together 9 EMILY MCKENZIE and KATHERINE WYATT Connections with nature 10 JAMES E. PASS Development in the Arctic 12 KATHARINA SCHNEIDER-ROOS and LORENA ZEMP Sustain- able and resilient infrastructure 14 ALAN ATKISSON A wave of investment 16 OKALIK EEGEESIAK Inuit and the Ice Blue Economy 18 NILS ANDREASSEN Energy in a changing North 20 SVEIN VIGELAND ROTTEM The Arctic Council – a need for reform 21 TOM BARRY and COURTNEY PRICE Arctic biodiversity: challenges 22 The contest 24 The Circle is published quarterly Publisher: Editor in Chief: Leanne Clare, COVER: Snow mobile travel over by the WWF Arctic Programme. WWF Arctic Programme [email protected] sea ice in Uummannaq, Green- Reproduction and quotation with 8th floor, 275 Slater St., Ottawa, land appropriate credit are encour- ON, Canada K1P 5H9. Managing Editor: Becky Rynor, Photo: Lawrence Hislop, www.grida.no/resources/1151 aged. Articles by non-affiliated Tel: +1 613-232-8706 [email protected] sources do not necessarily reflect Fax: +1 613-232-4181 ABOVE: Boy on bicycle, Nuuk, the views or policies of WWF. Design and production: Send change of address and sub- Internet: www.panda.org/arctic Film & Form/Ketill Berger, Greenland. scription queries to the address [email protected] Photo: Thomas Leth-Olsen, CC, Flickr.com on the right. We reserve the right ISSN 2073-980X = The Circle to edit letters for publication, Printed by Lowe-Martin and assume no responsibility for Date of publication: unsolicited material. March 2018. Thank you for your interest in The Circle. Many of our subscribers have moved to an e-version. To receive an electronic copy in your email instead of a paper 2 The Circle 1.2018 copy, please write to us at [email protected] and help us reduce our costs and footprint. EDITORIAL Change: the big picture IN THE PAST 25 YEARS WWF has witnessed a lot of change our perspective to include the value nature provides into in the Arctic, but the change now taking place in this future development. unique ecosystem is unprecedented in modern history. Svein Vigeland Rottem, a senior research fellow at the In this edition of The Circle, our contributing writers take Fridtjof Nansen Institute has suggestions on how the Arc- a big picture look at what’s next for the Arctic and suggest tic Council can better provide the leadership needed in what needs to be done to best prepare for the environ- the face of coming change. mental and social transformations already underway. While the Arctic is transforming, so is The Circle. We Janet Pawlak from the Arctic Monitoring and Assess- plan to expand our storytelling to go beyond the printed ment Programme Secretariat explains how much irre- word to include online content that will help bring the versible environmental change scientists expect in the sights and sounds of the Arctic to you in ways we hope Arctic in coming years due to climate will inform and inspire. Part of change. There are accompanying this transfor- changes expected in the Arctic’s bio- WHAT NEEDS TO BE mation will be diversity outlined by Tom Barry and driven by you. Courtney Price from the Arctic Coun- DONE TO BEST PREPARE Please take cil’s Working Group on the Conserva- FOR THE ENVIRON- five minutes tion of Arctic Flora and Fauna. MENTAL AND SOCIAL to fill out our Human beings are part of the Arc- online survey tic ecosystem and are also responding TRANSFORMATIONS to tell us what LEANNE CLARE is sen- to the changes taking place. Cindy ALREADY UNDERWAY you love about ior manager, commu- Dickson, Executive Director of the The Circle, and nications, for the WWF Arctic Programme Arctic Athabaskan Council in Canada gives a first-person ideas you have for how it can be account of how her life, and the lives of her children, have improved. changed. She believes greater collaboration is needed For the past seven years our managing editor, Becky between industry, environmentalists and governments Rynor spent countless hours helping contributors refine with First Nations to prevent and mitigate for the inevi- their articles to share the importance of the Arctic to the table changes brought about by development. wider world. This is Becky’s last edition of The Circle and Several authors give their perspectives on development we wish her all the best in her future endeavors. in the Arctic, from the importance of the Blue Economy Finally, the director of WWF’s Arctic Programme, Alex- from Alan AtKisson and Okalik Eegeesiak to the emer- andre Shestakov, leaves this month for new challenges at gence of clean energy from Nils Andreassen. How to the United Nation’s Convention on Biological Diversity. finance and ensure sustainable infrastructure in the Arc- His many years of experience in the Arctic and wealth of tic is explored by James E. Press from Guggenheim Part- insight and experience will be missed. We wish him all ners; while Emily McKenzie, Katherine Wyatt and Katha- the best and look forward to hearing from him as a future rina Schneider-Roos discuss the importance of shifting contributor to this magazine. l The Circle 1.2018 3 IN BRIEF grams, pursue environmen- Plastic waste found in tal protection and develop stomachs of Arctic seabirds resources across the Arctic. In addition, China promises to create a “Polar Silk Road” on Canada’s northernmost fringes. “It is interesting they put out something official,” said Heather Exner-Pirot, the managing editor of the Arctic Yearbook. “China’s strategy since 2008 was to remain low-key and avoid triggering Photo: Avenue, CC, Wikimedia Commons Avenue, Photo: the inevitable alarmism.” The document lays out the coun- Plastic waste ‘building up’ in Arctic try’s ambitions to become a major shipping power SCIENTISTS SAY plastic to overcome a few reck- 1970s they found very lit- through an ice-free Arctic, waste is a growing con- less decades of using the tle plastic in the stomachs stating, “China attaches cern in the supposedly sea as a dump. Research of the Arctic seabird, the great importance to naviga- pristine wilderness of the shows up to 234 particles fulmar. “In 2013 when we tion security in the Arctic Norwegian Arctic. They concentrated into just one last investigated, some had shipping routes.” Notable are particularly worried litre of melted Arctic sea ice more than 200 pieces of for its apparent overtures about huge concentrations – much higher than in the plastic in their stomachs.” to woo liberal Arctic powers of microplastic fragments open ocean. Researchers He says other species such such as Norway, Canada and in sea ice and report find- say that’s because sea ice as reindeer become entan- the United States, there are ing plastic litter almost forms from the top. Plastic gled in nets washed up on repeated references to sus- everywhere in the Arctic particles float at the surface beaches. “Some die because tainability, Indigenous rights, they looked. Most of the and become bonded into they can’t release their ant- wildlife protections and the large plastic waste comes the ice as it freezes. Geir lers.” He says in southern respect of international law. from discarded fishing Wing Gabrielsen, one of the Norway 80% of plastic pol- A spokesman for the Cana- gear. Boat owners admit it paper’s authors, told BBC lution comes from fishing dian Global Affairs Institute, will take hundreds of years News that at the end of the activities. Joël Plouffe, says the docu- ment is “heavy on politeness because it is attempting to frame China as a responsible China’s new player in a region where it has no actual sovereignty.” However, he adds, with the Arctic policy paper short on specifics, “it THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT is more intentions and hopes unveiled its intentions in than an actual strategy.” the Arctic in a rare, publicly- released paper in January. Canada’s National Post newspaper reported that the policy outlines plans to develop shipping routes, expand its research pro- Photo: Buzz, CC, Flickr.com 4 The Circle 1.2018 IN BRIEF Arctic states urged to improve polar bear conservation A NEW REPORT by WWF’s Arctic Programme shows the five countries responsi- ble for the conservation of polar bears have completed 5 per cent of their 10-year plan. WWF’s firstScorecard on the Circumpolar Action Plan for the Conservation of Polar Bears (CAP) shows CC, Flickr.com LaBar, T. Arthur Photo: that Canada, the Kingdom of Mama polar bear takes one on the nose. Barter Island, Beaufort Sea, Alaska. Denmark, Norway, the Rus- sian Federation and the Unit- by 2025,” says Melanie Lan- to address the threat of cli- emissions, scientists predict ed States are lagging in polar caster, WWF senior special- mate change to polar bears’ a third of the world’s polar bear conservation and won’t ist, Arctic species and lead primary habitat – sea ice. bears will be gone by 2050 or meet their 10-year target author of the report. “Indus- It is the only international within three polar bear gen- without more cooperation. trial development, habitat mechanism that brings all erations. “It is imperative that loss and conflicts with people five Range States together to Download the WWF Polar Range States show true lead- are all serious and increas- work on the survival of polar Bear CAP Scorecard: ership, unite and push them- ing threats to polar bear bears.
Recommended publications
  • Toward Sustainable Arctic Shipping: Perspectives from China
    sustainability Article Toward Sustainable Arctic Shipping: Perspectives from China Qiang Zhang , Zheng Wan * and Shanshan Fu College of Transport and Communications, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai 201306, China; [email protected] (Q.Z.); [email protected] (S.F.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 21 September 2020; Accepted: 27 October 2020; Published: 29 October 2020 Abstract: As a near-Arctic state and a shipping power, China shows great interest in developing polar shortcuts from East Asia to Europe against the background of shrinking Arctic sea ice. Due to the Arctic’s historic inaccessibility and corresponding vulnerable ecosystems, Arctic shipping activities must be carried out sustainably. In this study, a content analysis method was adopted to detect Chinese perspectives toward sustainable Arctic shipping based on qualitative data collected from the websites of several Chinese government agencies. Results show that, first, China emphasizes the fundamental role played by scientific expeditions and studies in developing Arctic shipping routes. Second, China encourages its shipping enterprises to conduct commercial and regularized Arctic voyages and intends to strike a good balance between shipping development and environmental protection. Third, China actively participates in Arctic shipping governance via extensive international cooperation at the global and regional levels. Several policy recommendations on how China can develop sustainable Arctic shipping are proposed accordingly. Keywords: sustainability; Arctic shipping; governance; China 1. Introduction Arctic sea ice is undergoing an extraordinary transition from generally thick multi-year sea ice to seasonal sea ice that is younger and less thick because of global warming [1]. Specifically, the volume of Arctic sea ice has declined by 75% since 1979 [1].
    [Show full text]
  • Revisiting Trans-Arctic Maritime Navigability in 2011–2016 from the Perspective of Sea Ice Thickness
    remote sensing Article Revisiting Trans-Arctic Maritime Navigability in 2011–2016 from the Perspective of Sea Ice Thickness Xiangying Zhou 1,2, Chao Min 1,2 , Yijun Yang 1,2, Jack C. Landy 3,4, Longjiang Mu 5 and Qinghua Yang 1,2,* 1 Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China; [email protected] (X.Z.); [email protected] (C.M.); [email protected] (Y.Y.) 2 Key Laboratory of Tropical Atmosphere-Ocean System, Ministry of Education, Zhuhai 519082, China 3 Department of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway; [email protected] 4 Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1 HB, UK 5 Qingdao Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Arctic navigation has become operational in recent decades with the decline in summer sea ice. To assess the navigability of trans-Arctic passages, combined model and satellite sea ice thickness (CMST) data covering both freezing seasons and melting seasons are integrated with the Arctic Transportation Accessibility Model (ATAM). The trans-Arctic navigation window and transit time are thereby obtained daily from modeled sea ice fields constrained by satellite observations. Our results indicate that the poorest navigability conditions for the maritime Arctic occurred in 2013 and 2014, particularly in the Northwest Passage (NWP) with sea ice blockage. The NWP has generally Citation: Zhou, X.; Min, C.; Yang, Y.; exhibited less favorable navigation conditions and shorter navigable windows than the Northern Landy, J.C.; Mu, L.; Yang, Q.
    [Show full text]
  • Arctic Species Trend Index 2010
    Arctic Species Trend Index 2010Tracking Trends in Arctic Wildlife CAFF CBMP Report No. 20 discover the arctic species trend index: www.asti.is ARCTIC COUNCIL Acknowledgements CAFF Designated Agencies: • Directorate for Nature Management, Trondheim, Norway • Environment Canada, Ottawa, Canada • Faroese Museum of Natural History, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands (Kingdom of Denmark) • Finnish Ministry of the Environment, Helsinki, Finland • Icelandic Institute of Natural History, Reykjavik, Iceland • The Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, the Environmental Agency, the Government of Greenland • Russian Federation Ministry of Natural Resources, Moscow, Russia • Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Stockholm, Sweden • United States Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska CAFF Permanent Participant Organisations: • Aleut International Association (AIA) • Arctic Athabaskan Council (AAC) • Gwich’in Council International (GCI) • Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) Greenland, Alaska and Canada • Russian Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON) • The Saami Council This publication should be cited as: Louise McRae, Christoph Zöckler, Michael Gill, Jonathan Loh, Julia Latham, Nicola Harrison, Jenny Martin and Ben Collen. 2010. Arctic Species Trend Index 2010: Tracking Trends in Arctic Wildlife. CAFF CBMP Report No. 20, CAFF International Secretariat, Akureyri, Iceland. For more information please contact: CAFF International Secretariat Borgir, Nordurslod 600 Akureyri, Iceland Phone: +354 462-3350 Fax: +354 462-3390 Email: [email protected] Website: www.caff.is Design & Layout: Lily Gontard Cover photo courtesy of Joelle Taillon. March 2010 ___ CAFF Designated Area Report Authors: Louise McRae, Christoph Zöckler, Michael Gill, Jonathan Loh, Julia Latham, Nicola Harrison, Jenny Martin and Ben Collen This report was commissioned by the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) with funding provided by the Government of Canada.
    [Show full text]
  • Arctic Council: Navigating Global Change
    At a glance February 2015 Arctic Council: navigating global change Climate change and globalisation have increased the focus on the Arctic region and thus on the Arctic Council (AC) as a circumpolar player. Ahead of the ministerial meeting in April 2015 – where the AC will decide on the EU's bid for observer status – preparations for the US to take over the rotating chairmanship for 2015-17 are rekindling debate on the AC's future priorities and role. Informal forum for Arctic cooperation The inter-governmental Arctic Council (AC) was founded in 1996 by the five Arctic coastal states, Canada, Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Norway, Russia, and the United States, plus Finland, Iceland and Sweden, as a 'high level forum' to promote sustainable development and environmental protection. Since then, the AC has continued to develop its organisational structures, for example by making the temporary secretariat in Tromsø, Norway, permanent in 2013. However, the AC lacks legal personality and formally speaking is not an international organisation. Its decisions and standards are consensual and non-binding, and it does not impose policies or payments on its member states. On the basis of this soft legal status, the AC has established itself as a key forum for Arctic scientific and policy cooperation. Between the biennial AC Ministerial Meetings, the eight member states are represented by appointed national Senior Arctic Officials (SAOs), who meet at least twice a year. The current membership would only change if Greenland were to gain full independence, causing Denmark to lose its status as an Arctic state.
    [Show full text]
  • Circumpolar Indigenous Gather for Education Conference
    VOLUME 5, ISSUE 4, DECEMBER 2012 Inupiaq: QILAUN Siberian Yupik: SAGUYA Central Yupik: CAUYAQ Inuit students from Nunavut perform at the Circumpolar Conference on Education for Indigenous UPCOMING EVENTS Peoples. Photo courtesy of Ivalo Adolfsen. January 9-10 Arctic Council Task Force for Institutional Circumpolar Indigenous Gather for Education Issues (TFII) • Reykjavik, Iceland • www. arctic-council.org Conference January 15-19 By Pausauraq Jana Harcharek ICC Executive Council Meeting • Nuuk, Greenland Undaunted by the first blizzard of the year, participants at the Circumpolar January 21-25 Conference on Education for Indigenous Peoples gathered in Iqaluit, the capitol Alaska Marine Science Symposium • Anchorage, of Nunavut in Canada to a ground-breaking gathering to exchange ideas and Alaska, USA • www.alaskamarinescience.org best practices in education in the Arctic. Co-hosted by the Honorable Eva Aariak January 21-23 and Honorable Palle Christiansen, Ministers of Education in the governments Arctic Council Senior Arctic Officials Meeting • Tromso, Norway • www.arctic-council.org of Nunavut and Greenland in November 2012, the event was designed to bring educators into the same room to forge new partnerships, share information and January 25-26 research and have discourse regarding mutual challenges. Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) Meeting • Tromso, Norway • http://portal.sdwg.org/ With a focus on the major themes of Early Childhood Education, Delivering Quality Programming and Parental and Community Engagement, the conference February 5-6 Bering Strait Maritime Symposium • Nome, was organized with keynote addresses and workshop sessions surrounding a Alaska • http://seagrant.uaf.edu/conferences/2013/ variety of topics. Speakers from Norway, Greenland, Canada and Alaska honed bering-strait-maritime/index.php in on curriculum efforts/reform, parenting support programs, early childhood February 11-15 programs/reform and assessment fostering dialogue amongst the participants.
    [Show full text]
  • Canadian Arctic Shipping
    Canadian Arctic Shipping: Issues and Perspectives Papers by: Adam Lajeunesse Will Russell A.E. Johnston INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR NORTHERN GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT Occasional Paper Series, Vol. 11-01 November 2011 Copyright © 2011 Adam Lajeunesse, Will Russell and A.E. Johnston International Centre for Northern Governance and Development University of Saskatchewan All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher. In the case of photocopying or other forms of reprographic reproduction, please consult Access Copyright, the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency, at 1–800–893–5777. Editing, design, and layout by Heather Exner-Pirot and Colleen Cameron. International Centre for Northern Governance and Development 117 Science Place University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon SK Canada S7N 5C8 Phone: (306) 966–1238 / Fax: (306) 966–7780 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.usask.ca/icngd CONTENTS Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. 2 A New Mediterranean? Arctic Shipping Prospects for the 21st Century, by Adam Lajeunesse ................................................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • International Dimensions
    CHAPTER 9 International Dimensions NATIONAL ISSUES REPORT NATIONAL ISSUES REPORT 624 Coordinating lead author Jimena Eyzaguirre, ESSA Technologies Ltd. Lead authors Cedar Morton, PhD, ESSA Technologies Ltd. Colette Wabnitz, PhD, University of British Columbia and Stanford University Michael Copage, Environment and Climate Change Canada Robert McLeman, PhD, Wilfrid Laurier University Contributing authors Danica Lassaline, Environment and Climate Change Canada Juliano Palacios-Abrantes, PhD, University of British Columbia Kamleshan Pillay, PhD,, Independent Adaptation Finance Specialist Recommended citation Eyzaguirre, J., Morton, C., Wabnitz, C., Copage, M. and McLeman, R. (2021): International Dimensions; Chapter 9 in Canada in a Changing Climate: National Issues Report, (ed.) F.J. Warren and N. Lulham; Government of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. NATIONAL ISSUES REPORT 625 Table of contents Key messages 627 9.1 Introduction 628 9.1.1 Overview of findings from past assessments 630 9.2 Climate change affects Arctic shipping and threatens sovereignty 631 9.2.1 Introduction 631 9.2.2 Climate, sea ice and Arctic navigation 631 9.2.3 Climate-related risks to Canada’s control over the Northwest Passage 637 9.2.4 Strategies to adapt to increased shipping activity in the Northwest Passage 640 Case Story 9.1: Adaptation strategies for cruise ship tourism in the Canadian Arctic 643 9.3 Transboundary marine and freshwater agreements generally do not consider climate change 644 9.3.1 Introduction 645 Case Story 9.2: The Canada–U.S. Pacific Salmon Treaty 646 9.3.2 Marine agreements 648 9.3.3 Freshwater agreements 652 Case Story 9.3: Modernizing the Canada–U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • EU Arctic Stakeholder Forum Sápmi Report
    Saami Council – 7 April 2017 EU Arctic Stakeholder Forum Sápmi Report “We do not need much – but we need it even more” Content 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 2 1.1 The Sápmi Report Process .................................................... Feil! Bokmerke er ikke definert. 2 PROGRAM AREAS ........................................................................................................................ 3 2.1 Education and Research ............................................................................................................. 3 2.2 Business and Entreprises ............................................................................................................ 4 2.3 Infrastructure .............................................................................................................................. 5 2.4 Small Investment ....................................................................................................................... 5 2.5 Health ......................................................................................................................................... 6 2.6 Saami Languauges ..................................................................................................................... 6 2.7 Protection and Emergency Preparedness ................................................................................... 7 2.8. Large Investments ....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Opportunities and Challenges of the Northern Shipping Passages
    OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF DEVELOPING THE NORTHERN SHIPPING PASSAGES Halia Valladares Montemayor, Ph.D., Bissett School of Business, Mount Royal University Kelly Moorhead, Bissett School of Business, Mount Royal University Introduction The aim of this research is to study the implications of the topographical changes in the Arctic and how this affects the NSP, this will also include all the historical countries involved by bordering this territory. It is said that, due to climate change and global warming, the Arctic Ocean is undergoing some significant topographical changes. There increasingly less ice, and this is opening up new opportunities for shipping routes. It has been proposed by Kefferpütz (2010) that, before the end of the twenty first century, the temperatures in the Arctic are expected to increase from four to seven degrees Celsius (p. 1). The earlier models predicted that the Arctic could be ice free by the summer of 2030. Evidence showed that in 2008 there was a 65 percent decrease in Arctic ice. The greatest decrease in the summer Arctic ice caps on record was from 2007 to 2009. Although, there is not a 100 percent accurate date as to when the Arctic will be free of ice, Canada and other Northern countries should begin to strategize how to utilize the new Arctic passages that will becoming available. This could involve setting up new shipping routes, navigational aids, ports, and developing new equipment to deal with icy conditions. Not only does the Arctic offer new shipping routes, but also, 13 percent of the world’s oil reserves and 30 percent of the world natural gas resources are said to be in the Arctic.
    [Show full text]
  • Asian Countries and Arctic Shipping
    Arctic Review on Law and Politics Peer-reviewed article Vol. 10, 2019, pp. 24–52 Asian Countries and Arctic Shipping: Policies, Interests and Footprints on Governance Arild Moe* Fridtjof Nansen Institute Olav Schram Stokke University of Oslo, Department of Political Science, and Fridtjof Nansen Institute Abstract Most studies of Asian state involvement in Arctic affairs assume that shorter sea-lanes to Europe are a major driver of interest, so this article begins by examining the prominence of shipping con- cerns in Arctic policy statements made by major Asian states. Using a bottom-up approach, we consider the advantages of Arctic sea routes over the Suez and Panama alternatives in light of the political, bureaucratic and economic conditions surrounding shipping and shipbuilding in China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Especially Japanese and Korean policy documents indicate soberness rather than optimism concerning Arctic sea routes, noting the remaining limitations and the need for in-depth feasibility studies. That policymakers show greater caution than analysts, links in with our second finding: in Japan and Korea, maritime-sector bureaucracies responsible for industries with Arctic experience have been closely involved in policy development, more so than in China. Thirdly, we find a clear tendency towards rising industry-level caution and restraint in all three countries, reflecting financial difficulties in several major companies as well as growing sensitivity to the economic and political risks associated with the Arctic routes. Finally, our exam- ination of bilateral and multilateral Chinese, Japanese and Korean diplomatic activity concerning Arctic shipping exhibits a lower profile than indicated by earlier studies.
    [Show full text]
  • On Uncertain Ice: the Future of Arctic Shipping and the Northwest Passage
    On Uncertain Ice: The Future of Arctic Shipping and the Northwest Passage by Whitney Lackenbauer and Adam Lajeunesse A POLICYDecember, PAPER 2014 POLICY PAPER On Uncertain Ice: The Future of Arctic Shipping and the Northwest Passage* by Whitney Lackenbauer CDFAI Fellow and Adam Lajeunesse St. Jerome’s University December, 2014 Prepared for the Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute 1600, 530 – 8th Avenue S.W., Calgary, AB T2P 3S8 www.cdfai.org ©2013 Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute ISBN: 978-1-927573-18-1 Executive Summary The Arctic sea-ice is in a state of rapid decline. Barriers to navigation that once doomed the likes of Sir John Franklin and closed the shortcut to the Orient now seem to be melting away. The prospect of shorter, transpolar transportation routes linking Asian and Western markets has inspired excitement and fear, and particularly the latter when it comes to Canadian sovereignty. This paper confirms recent studies suggesting that, in spite of the general trend towards reduced ice cover in the Arctic Basin, environmental variability, scarce infrastructure and other navigational aids, and uncertain economics make it unlikely that the Northwest Passage will emerge as a viable trans-shipping route in the foreseeable future. Instead, the region is likely to witness a steady increase in resource, resupply, and tourist destinational shipping. Accordingly, concerns that this increased activity will adversely affect Canadian sovereignty are misplaced. Rather than calling into question Canadian control, foreign vessels engaged in local activities are likely to reinforce Canada’s legal position by demonstrating an international acceptance of Canadian laws and regulations.
    [Show full text]
  • A Quick Guide to the Arctic Council
    A Quick Guide to the Arctic Council 1 This document exists in two versions. ISBN 978-82-93600-54-1 (digital, PDF) ISBN 978-82-93600-55-8 (printed, A5) ©Arctic Council Secretariat, 2019 This document is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of the license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 Suggested citation Arctic Council, September 2019, A quick guide to the Arctic Council. September 2019. 29 pp. Authors Arctic Council Published by Arctic Council Secretariat This document is available as an electronic document from the Arctic Council’s open access repository at the following link. oaarchive.arctic-council.org/handle/11374/937 Cover photograph iStock / robcocquyt A Quick Guide to the Arctic Council Photo: Arctic Council Secretariat/Linnea Nordström 1 This is the Arctic Council The Arctic Council is the leading intergovernmental forum promoting co- operation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, Arctic Indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular on issues of sustainable development and environ- mental protection in the Arctic. Who takes part? The Ottawa Declaration lists the following countries as Members of the Arctic Council: Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Nor- way, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States. In addition, six organizations represent- ing Arctic Indigenous peoples have status as Permanent Participants. The category of Permanent Participant was created to provide for active participa- tion and full consultation with the Arctic Indigenous peoples within the Coun- cil. They include: the Aleut International Association, the Arctic Athabaskan Council, Gwich’in Council International, the Inuit Cir- cumpolar Council, Russian As- sociation of Indigenous Peoples of the North and the Saami Council.
    [Show full text]