New Svalbard report: Stronger national control by Norway and fewer ships
In the recently published new white paper on Svalbard, the Norwegian government announces, among other things, its intention to strengthen national control in many areas of society. She is also calling for major changes in the tourism industry.
The Norwegian government’s new Svalbard report contains numerous measures which, according to a press release, have been developed against the background of the rapid warming on Svalbard and the political security situation.
“Svalbard is an important part of Norway. At a time of major changes, the governance of Svalbard must continue to be predictable and maintain a steady course. We want to strengthen national control and support Norway’s presence in the archipelago,” says Emilie Enger Mehl, the Norwegian Minister of Justice and Public Security, in a press release from the Ministry.
According to the press release, the archipelago has changed significantly in many areas since the last Svalbard report in 2016:
- Longyearbyen has developed from a society based on coal mining into a modern family society.
- The population is higher than ever before.
- Activities around Svalbard, especially cruise tourism, have increased.
- Interest in using Spitsbergen for research purposes has grown.
- The changes caused by climate change are making nature more vulnerable.
- Coastal areas are easier to reach for ships due to warming.
- Geopolitical tensions are now reaching as far as the Norwegian territories.
In view of these changes, the government is calling for a series of measures that should be under greater national control and affect areas such as energy supply, research, education, tourism, the environment and security.
“In particular, the measures will support the goal of Norwegian communities in the archipelago and the goal of preserving the area’s distinctive natural wilderness, and as a whole they will generally strengthen the degree of national control over activity in the archipelago,” says Minister Mehl.
Svalbardposten, the Longyearbyen-based news platform, published a long list of the planned measures. For example, the government wants to create incentives that make it more attractive for Norwegians to move to and live in Svalbard in order to strengthen the Norwegian community in Longyearbyen and increase Norway’s presence.
In the area of climate and environment, the aim is to examine, among other things, “whether the current protective provisions are sufficient to cope with the consequences of climate change and future activities”. There are also plans to establish a nature information center as part of the Svalbard Museum in Longyearbyen to strengthen communication and knowledge about Svalbard’s unique environmental values.
Measures are also to be implemented in research. For example, it is to become mandatory to make data and results publicly accessible and to share them. The footprint and overall impact on the environment should also be minimized in all research and educational activities.
However, the tourism and cruise industry will certainly be confronted with the most drastic changes. The following is a list of some of the measures the government is planning:
- Development of a proposal for visitor contributions for travelers to Longyearbyen.
- Introduction of a limit on the number of people on board cruise ships in Svalbard territorial waters.
- Consideration of an upper limit for the number of cruise ships operating there.
- Introduction of a certification system for Svalbard guides to ensure that all guides have sufficient expertise to reduce the risk of accidents to people and prevent environmental damage.
- Development of a risk assessment guide for the cruise industry.
- Introduction of a requirement that deck officers on ships of more than 24 meters in length but less than 500 gross tonnage carrying up to 12 passengers in Svalbard must undergo basic training based on the Polar Code.
Minister Emilie Enger Mehl receives support from the Minister of Trade and Industry, Cecilie Myrseth, who said in a government press release: “Tourism is the largest industry in Svalbard. […] The government wants to promote the further development of the industry in a way that respects nature. We are now starting a pilot project for visitor contributions in Svalbard. Visitors to Svalbard must help finance the infrastructure that the tourism industry needs.”
As the number of cruise ships and cruise passengers visiting Svalbard has also increased significantly in recent years, the government sees a need for action here, particularly with regard to emergency preparedness, the environment and infrastructure.
“Regulating the number of people on board is particularly important from an emergency preparedness perspective. There is good local emergency preparedness in Svalbard, but it is not designed to deal with major or simultaneous incidents. Preventive measures are therefore very important,” said Minister Mehl. “[…] We need to prevent a potential accident involving thousands of cruise passengers in areas that pose a high risk to both tourists and rescue workers.”
Julia Hager, Polar Journal AG
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