The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of 14 November, 2022
Auditor General of Canada: Canada Not Ready for Maritime Challenges in the Arctic
As reported by CBC News on November 15, the Auditor General of Canada Karen Hogan announced in a report that Canada’s limited oversight of maritime activities in the Arctic is opening its waters to unauthorized access, accidents, pollution, and illegal activity. The report noted that the agencies responsible for safety and security in the High North, such as Transport Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard, are not prepared for the challenges of increasing maritime traffic and economic development. The Auditor General stated that surveillance gaps, ineffective information sharing, and aging icebreakers have been long-standing issues. (CBC News)
Take 1: The findings from the Auditor General reveal the worrisome state of Canada’s ability to monitor maritime activity in the Arctic. As the report notes, many of these issues have been identified before, but there has not been enough action to address them. Although the Canadian government has procured new surveillance equipment, including ships, aircraft, and satellites, many are not expected to be delivered until years after the planned service life of the existing equipment. This will intensify existing surveillance gaps, further weakening Canada’s monitoring capabilities. Inadequate surveillance threatens Canada’s ability to protect its national security and sovereignty, but it also reduces safety in Arctic waters. Search and rescue and disaster relief operations rely on strong monitoring and surveillance to respond quickly and effectively. At the same time, marine traffic is set to intensify, with climate change making the Arctic become more navigable. Rising temperatures continue to rapidly melt the ice in the Arctic, with scientists estimating that the loss of the region’s summer sea ice is now inevitable by 2050. This raises the potential for accidents, such as oil spills and crashes, which puts more pressure on emergency services in the Arctic. Therefore, the Canadian government should use the findings and recommendations from the Auditor General to urgently address the limitations in its maritime monitoring and Arctic presence to be more prepared to operate in the changing region. (Bloomberg, Government of Canada, International Journal)
Sami Parliament Act Delayed – Again
As reported by the Helsinki Times on November 14, the Finnish Centre Party has postponed the government’s bill to reform the Sami Parliament Act. The proposed law would adjust the criteria for eligibility to vote in Sami Parliament elections and is intended to better protect the rights of the Sami. This is the second time that the Centre Party has postponed the bill, which must be brought to the Parliament of Finland by Thursday to ensure that it can be debated and processed before the end of the parliamentary term. (Helsinki Times)
Take 2: Although the Sami have had constitutional self-government in Finland through the Sami Parliament since 1996, they continue to be marginalized and face challenges to their rights. The current Sami Parliament Act governs how the Finnish government interacts with the Sami Parliament, and includes provisions that define who can participate in their elections. In other words, the act decides the criteria for who can be considered Sami. However,some of the definitions and criteria have faced criticism and are opposed by the Sami. In 2019, the United Nations concluded that the Sami Parliament Act violated human rights and the right to self-determination. Under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Sami should have the right to determine their own identity and membership. Therefore, urgent reform of the Sami Parliament Act is needed to comply with international law and better respect the rights of the Sami people. The repeated delays in passing the bill highlight the marginalization of the Sami, especially since this is the Finnish government’s third attempt to implement reforms. Moreover, the continued inaction only fosters greater distrust of the government, frustration, and disappointment in the Sami community. To strengthen confidence and support a strong Arctic, Finland must follow through with its commitment to safeguarding Indigenous rights. The Centre Party’s opposition, the government should move forward with the long-overdue bill and ensure its passage. (Euronews, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Yle News)
Heavy Fuel Oils To Remain In Use in the Arctic for the Next Decade?
As reported by High North News on November 15, Canada and Russia will be opting out of voluntary restrictions on heavy fuel oils in the Arctic, which are set to begin in 2024. Canada notified the International Maritime Organization, the UN agency responsible for regulating shipping, that it fully supports and intends to comply with the prohibitions, but it cannot accede to the protocol until it can finalize the adoption of the treaty. Although the mandatory ban on the use of transportation of heavy fuel oils will enter into force in 2024, various exemptions and waivers mean that vessels flying the flag of an Arctic coastal state will have until 2029 to fully comply with the protocol. (High North News)
Take 3: Russia’s decision to opt out of the voluntary restrictions on heavy fuel oils in the Arctic is very concerning. Although Canada has not acceded to the protocol as well, the move is likely temporary as Canada completes the domestic procedures to adopt the treaty. On the other hand, Russia’s decision signals its desire to continue using heavy fuel oils until the end of the decade. Already banned in Antarctica since 2011, heavy fuel oil is a type of marine fuel that produces high levels of “black carbon,” a harmful climate pollutant. As the soot from engine emissions land on the sea ice, the black carbon darkens the surface. This causes the ice to melt faster, accelerating climate change. Additionally, heavy fuel oil is dangerous in the Arctic due to the risk of oil spills. Heavy fuel oil breaks down slowly in cold temperatures, and it is extremely viscous and toxic. The lack of infrastructure, harsh weather conditions, and the remoteness of the region make emergency oil spill response efforts difficult. Therefore, a spill would have long-term devastating effects on the ecosystem and Indigenous communities. With Russian vessels accounting for the majority of maritime shipping and traffic in the Arctic, Russia’s decision to allow these ships to continue to use the fuel will greatly contribute to pollution as well as the risk of disastrous accidents. Although Russia will ultimately have to comply with the ban by 2029, the already vulnerable Arctic cannot afford to wait for strong environmental action. (Clean Arctic Alliance, Forbes)
Youth Protection System of Nunavik, Quebec in an Alarming State
As reported by CBC News on November 15, youth protection officials and social workers in Nunavik, Quebec stated that they could no longer ensure the well-being of children in their care due to the shortage of foster families and childcare locations. As a result, many youth protection workers find themselves working around the clock and taking on the role of daycare providers. (CBC News)
Take 4: The statement from youth protection officials is highly distressing. The shortage of foster families and the difficult situation reflects the numerous shortcomings of Quebec’s youth protection system. In a 2021 report, a commission found that the system is critically underfunded and has never had the resources to meet the growing demand for youth protection services. Additionally, other important issues include the over-representation of Indigenous children in the system, the mistreatment of youth, and the overworking of social workers. One contributing factor is systemic racism in the child welfare system. Youth protection workers often do not understand Indigenous traditions, values, or approaches to parenting. These cultural and language barriers between the social services and the community are partly responsible for the discrimination and over-representation of Indigenous children. Although many community members are capable and would like to assist the social services, there are few opportunities to work in the system or provide culturally sensitive care due to the lack of education. Therefore, the alarming situation in Nunavik calls on the provincial and Canadian governments to provide more resources to ensure the protection, well-being, and care of Inuit children and families. The governments should also remove barriers to education for Indigenous communities and create more pathways for them to contribute to child protection services. (CBC News, CTV News)
Melting Sea Ice, Sunlight, and Algae
As reported by Eos, on November 14, a new study published in Global Change Biology found that phytoplankton could bloom at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean during the summer. Through a lab experiment, researchers from the University of Tokyo discovered that algae were able to bloom in conditions similar to the Arctic seafloor. They hypothesize that the loss of sea ice could be allowing sunlight to reach the bottom of the Arctic Ocean in shallow areas, triggering the blooms. (Eos)
Take 5: Typically, algae in the Arctic Ocean bloom in the spring and then sink to the bottom of the ocean, where they either die or remain in a stable state due to the lack of sunlight. However, evidence from the study seems to suggest that this may no longer be the case. Phytoplankton blooms at the bottom of the ocean could be beneficial by helping to remove carbon from the environment during photosynthesis, and this process may now need to be included in research into the Arctic Ocean’s capacity to sequester or absorb carbon. However, algal blooms could also be dangerous. Harmful algal blooms are large accumulations of algae or phytoplankton that produce deadly neurotoxins. Although harmful algal blooms affect coasts around the world, they can be particularly dangerous in the Arctic. Since the toxins can travel through the food web, they can cause severe illness and even death, especially for Indigenous communities that rely on Arctic fish and shellfish. They can also cause mass mortalities of fish, birds, and marine mammals, threatening the food security of these communities. Therefore, the loss of sea ice that opens up ocean water to more sunlight could increase the spread of harmful algal blooms to the Arctic and further endanger humans, wildlife, and the ecosystem. Since the study was a lab experiment, further field research should be conducted to better understand the impacts of climate change on algae. (NOAA, NOAA: Arctic Program, US National Park Service)