Narwhals are an important part of the subsistence for communities in the northern part of Nunavut. But the acoustically sensitive marine mammals are under severe pressure in the region, especially from heavy shipping traffic. To provide some relief in the area, AECO member expedition vessels now plan to detour to get to Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet).
Instead of taking the direct route via Eclipse Sound to Mittimatalik (formerly Pond Inlet), members of AECO (Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators) will take a detour and arrive at the Nunavut community from the north. This is intended to reduce underwater noise levels to some extent and thus reduce pressure on the local narwhal population in the summer from ship traffic. This was agreed to by AECO and the local Mittimatalik Hunters and Trappers Organization MHTO.
Both AECO and MHTO welcome the agreement and AECO’s concession. The head of the MHTO, David Qamaniq, explains: “Narwhal continue to decline in our area and have not bounced back to historical numbers as we had hoped. We thank the cruise ship operators for working with us this year to protect the animals that remain.” And AECO is also receiving a lot of praise from conservation organizations for its decision to take the detour. For example, Chris Debicki, vice president of policy development at Oceans North, said, ” It’s really heartening to see AECO take the community’s concerns seriously and show how an industry can be both responsive and responsible.”
Such words are traditionally heard less often when it comes to nature conservation and tourism. Especially when it comes to narwhals, opinions have diverged between sides in the past. Time and again, local hunting and conservation groups have accused (and continue to accuse) the ship operators of generating too much noise with the ships and the Zodiacs used for the excursions, thus driving away or even harming the narwhals, which are acoustically very sensitive. This would cause massive disadvantages for the communities, as they depend on the supply of narwhal meat.
Mittimatalik is located at the entrance to the Northwest Passage and has always been an important port of call for expedition ships and tourism, as the village of just under 1,500 inhabitants is considered a mix in traditional and modern livelihoods. This situation was created by the nearby Mary River Mine, where iron is mined and shipped on a large scale.
And this is where all parties believe the main responsibility for the decline of the narwhal population in the region lies. AECO stated that its member vessels accounted for only 14 percent of the total vessel traffic last year. This year, another 32 calls are planned in Mittimatalik.
The bulk, however, comes from the mine located in Milne Fjord, from where 200 trips (starts, finishes, transits) had been made in 2021 alone. Here, Oceans North and also MHTO see the federal authorities, above all Transport Canada, as having a duty to take stricter measures to reduce shipping traffic and to follow AECO’s example.
For narwhals in the Mittimatalik region, the news is somewhat comforting, while Greenland is likely to become more uncomfortable for the animals. Here, hunting associations have long been calling on the responsible minister, Kalistat Lund, to increase catch quotas, especially in West Greenland, and to ban tourist ships in those fjords where narwhals prefer to stay. Many hunters believe that the ships are responsible for the disappearance of narwhals from the fjords. At the same time, however, they justify the demand for the quota increase with an increase in population numbers based on sightings. This view is contradicted by experts from the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, which is responsible for counting the animals. They even recommend a reduction in catch quotas.
Perhaps Greenland should take a cue from Mittimatalik, because it shows that sometimes a detour leads more directly to the goal in the long run.
Dr Michael Wenger, PolarJournal
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