The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of March 12, 2018

Goodbye Arctic Ocean, Hello Atlantic Ocean

Ornithologists in the Arctic recently made a startling observation: seabirds fishing in the Arctic Ocean aren’t catching Arctic fish. Instead, they are catching Atlantic fish that thrive in warmer waters. Scientists say that this is a sign of the ‘Atlantification’ of Arctic waters, characterized by cold, distinctly layered seawater. We see Atlantification happening as that cold water becomes less resistant to mixing with warmer southern waters (Hakai Magazine).

Take 1: Atlantification is one of several real-time events altering the polar food web, which is also being changed by the similarly named ‘shrubification’ of the tundra, where shrubs are quickly becoming more common than the dominant grasses and sedges. It’s easy for outsiders to overlook how much polar regions are changing beyond the plight of polar bears and the shift in weather patterns, but huge ecological changes are taking place at an unprecedented rate.

Canada’s federal budget a “step in the right direction”

Within Canada as a whole, the federal government’s 2018 budget focuses on funding for projects with a focus on equality under four main themes: growth, progress, advancement, and reconciliation (Government of Canada). It also earmarked funding for a few Arctic-centred programs including $509.5 million over the next decade for Inuit priorities such as housing and skills training and funding for scientific initiatives in the North (HNN).

Take 2: Canada’s 2018 Federal Budget is the first to be created using gender-based analysis strategies, which is a good thing for all, improving equality within all Canadian groups. It also makes an effort to address many of the concerns expressed by Northern community members, but its reception has been one of tepid optimism as those communities wait to see if the promises of the 2017 and 2018 budgets are fulfilled (HNN). The budget is also lukewarm in terms of funding for Polar development, sure to be a hot topic as China and Russia set their sights on the Arctic (The Globe and Mail).

Finland, Norway planning first EU railway to Arctic Ocean

Finland has announced its ideal rail route for the first rail link between an EU country and a port on the Arctic Ocean. The route would connect Oulu, Finland to the Norwegian city of Kirkenes, near the Norway-Russia border (Reuters). In the near future, the railway would be mainly used for shipping fish products, minerals, and wood materials, but would ideally connect Europe to future Arctic shipping routes from Asia (The Construction Index).

Take 3: The route is predicted to cost 2.9 billion euros to build and will be mainly funded by Finland, with a smaller contribution from Norway. The railway is unlikely to pay for itself in the short-term, but with future northern development, shipping, and tourism, could become more viable (Global Construction Review). The plans are still under review and will be evaluated for their impact on the environment and reindeer husbandry practices of the Sami people along the route (IBO).

Cooperation on circumpolar countries’ coasts

The Arctic Coast Guard Forum (ACGF) is preparing for its second live exercise ever, to be held off the coast of Finland next year with coast guards from participating nations. Their goal is to work together on common issues in the Arctic such as emergency response operations, while focusing on practicalities instead of politics (IBO).

Take 4: The time could not be better for circumpolar nations to increase their ability to coordinate in emergency situations. Although in some ways climate change is making Arctic waters more navigable than ever, it is also causing more extreme weather events that are harder to predict in the region. This, combined with the quickly increasing traffic in the poorly charted region, makes it likely that a large upswing in situations requiring emergency services is coming (IBO). In a region as harsh and vast as the Arctic, international cooperation seems an obvious choice to optimize safety.

Athletes warming up for Arctic Winter Games

Less than one month after the world’s eyes were glued to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, another international winter games is gearing up to start next week in Northern Canada. Participants and fans alike are arriving in South Slave, Northwest Territories for the 2018 Arctic Winter Games. The Arctic Winter Games include many of the winter sports found in the Olympics, like hockey and snowboarding, but also feature traditional Arctic sports, Dene games, and dog mushing (Arctic Winter Games).

Take 5: The Arctic Winter Games are held every two years in a different Arctic city, which can be a challenge for both organizers with limited resources in remote locations and participants who often have to travel between remote towns. Accommodation has been an issue this year, but people are making do by bringing their own accommodation in the form of RVs (CBC, Cabin Radio). Despite the hurdles, the games are on track to help athletes from Canada, Greenland, Scandinavia, Russia, and the USA ‘find their power’ through sport and cultural exchange (Arctic Winter Games).