Arctic Frontiers Conference

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Chairs, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you very much for the invitation to Arctic Frontiers and for the opportunity to address you this morning.

I bring you all the warmest greetings from our Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, Lisbeth Berg-Hansen, who unfortunately is not able to be here today.

I would like to begin by congratulating Arctic Frontiers for its success in creating such an important meeting place and drawing attention to the challenges and opportunities in this region.

1.    The High North is the Government’s most important strategic priority area

When the present Norwegian Government took office in 2005 we declared that the High North shall be the Government’s most important strategic priority area for foreign policy and shall contribute to positive developments in the North.  This was reconfirmed when the Government was re-elected last autumn and is actively followed up in our daily work.

I am pleased to see that a number of other countries are not only becoming more aware of the High North, but have also decided to develop specific High North policy strategies, albeit with somewhat different focus.

For Norway the overall aim is to:

• enhance knowledge in and about the north,
• increase our activity and presence in the area, and
• lay the foundations for sustainable economic and social development in the years to come.

 

2.    Arctic climate change

Ladies and gentlemen,

Climate change is one of the most important challenges in this region. Global warming is taking place more rapidly and more visibly in the Arctic than most other places in the world. I will come back to this issue more directly later today, as scheduled in the programme.

The extent of Arctic sea ice in summer has decreased dramatically over the last three decades. This is having a major impact on marine ecosystems and the lives of indigenous peoples who depend on the ice for hunting and travel.

However, this will also open up opportunities for commercial activities like shipping, extraction of oil and gas, fisheries and tourism. These activities create new technical, environmental and political challenges that will have to be dealt with.

 

3.    The need for sustainable management

The Arctic states have a huge responsibility. What happens in the Arctic is of global importance. The world population is projected to reach 9 billion by 2050. There will clearly be an increased demand for food, energy and other resources.

Therefore, sustainable management of the oceans to ensure the production of food is of crucial importance. We must explore new resources and expect that the international community will utilise the High North in new ways. The precautionary principle and sustainability are our main principles. In addition, protection of certain areas will have to be considered.

In the attempt to halt the loss of marine biodiversity, Norway has endorsed the goal of establishing an international network of Marine Protected Areas.

In general, however, I do believe that it is possible to maintain ecosystem health and productivity and at the same time harvest living marine resources in a sustainable way. Establishing Marine Protected Areas is not synonymous with establishing “no-take” reserves.

 

4.    Robust legal framework

These issues will have to be addressed by the Arctic states. It will be a delicate balancing act.

Let me at this stage underline two vital elements in the framework for Arctic cooperation. 

The Arctic is by no means an ungoverned area. The fact that the sea ice is retreating doesn’t change this.

The region is already covered by the principles and regulations enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, in addition to various environmental and fisheries agreements, rules of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and other general regulations. More than 150 states are party to the Law of the Sea Convention. It reflects international customary law on a broad range of key issues.

In addition to refining the existing legal structure, there is a need to strengthen cooperation in specific areas and to develop political dialogue. Maintaining the situation of low tension is vital for this process. The Arctic today is a region characterised by close cooperation and the absence of conflict, an area of peace and stability. Our primary responsibility is to maintain this favourable situation.

 

5.    Political dialogue

The Arctic Council is the only regional body that includes all Arctic states, indigenous peoples and relevant observers, and is thus an important tool. Norway is very pleased that we have been able to develop the Arctic Council into an efficient body for discussions and policy initiatives in such a short time.

In recent years, we have had extensive discussions on the role of observers in the Arctic Council. It is Norway’s view that the Arctic Council is served by having officially sanctioned observers. Formalisation of the status of observers strengthens the undisputed role of the Arctic Council as the leading Arctic circumpolar body. Everyone agrees that the observers are important partners. We will continue to discuss how to give them a better role in the work of the Council.

In 2007 we established a secretariat for the Arctic Council here in Tromsø. I congratulate the secretariat on its achievements, and on the way it has added value to the work of the Arctic Council. Norway, Denmark and Sweden have agreed that the secretariat should continue to operate at least up to the 2013 Ministerial Meeting. I sincerely hope that the secretariat will have proven its value by then, and that it will continue in Tromsø on a permanent basis.

The Council does not take formal decisions. Its role is decision-shaping rather than decision-making. It has proven itself to be an efficient instrument for providing guidelines, best practices and knowledge for other international forums where decisions are made. And I think it is important to strengthen this work further.

 

6.    Areas for Arctic cooperation

Let us now leave the general discussion on legal structures and political bodies and focus on some of the specific areas of cooperation. 

 

Shipping

Less ice in the Arctic Ocean means that new sea areas are opening up.  Potential new shipping routes could reduce the transport distance between Western Europe and Asia by about 50%.

Increased shipping activity must be met with a combination of requirements for ships navigating the area and the establishment of an adequate maritime infrastructure.

It is difficult to construct a reliable traditional system of navigation in the polar areas. Therefore, development of virtual aids to navigation in the Arctic should be given high priority.

With regard to infrastructure, electronic navigation systems are already in place. Today, both the American and Russian global satellite navigation systems – GPS and GLONASS – are in operation. In addition, a new European global system – Galileo –,as well as a Chinese system are being established. 

Monitoring and surveillance will be important preventive measures to ensure cost-effective, safe and secure transport by sea. 

But the challenge here is, of course, to combine and integrate existing and new systems, both regionally and globally.

Norway and the other circumpolar nations are currently addressing this issue within the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA).

Monitoring sea transport and routing measures are important to make shipping activities safer and more efficient.

I would also like to mention an exciting new project that we have high hopes for – a monitoring and warning system in the High North, called Barents Watch. The purpose of the system is to gather data from various sector systems and make real-time and historical data available in a single integrated system. This will give us new insights and make it possible to take more preventive action, and thus utilise and govern this area in a more efficient way.  

 

Petroleum

Another reason for increased traffic in the region is the growing interest in petroleum resources in the High North.

This activity and its related transport needs will increase the risk of oil spills. Oil spills and other accidents are particularly difficult to handle in the Arctic. It is therefore crucial to reduce this risk. We already have a good partnership with Russia, and are eager to develop regional cooperation further. This should include joint efforts both in the field of research and in the establishment of appropriate preparedness and response instruments.

Renewable energy and the development of new technologies

However, the role of the oceans as a source of energy is not limited to oil and gas. Examples in this area include the production of renewable energy such as tidal and wave power and establishment of offshore wind farms. 

Marine bioprospecting

In other words, we recognise an increased interest in exploiting the seas in new ways.

As the oceans contain some of the largest ecosystems, it is not surprising that marine bioprospecting is attracting increasing attention.

The Arctic environment with its combination of extreme temperature and special light conditions has led to the evolution of organisms with unique properties. These properties could be utilised in products and processes in a multitude of industries.

In marine bioprospecting, Norway can combine its long tradition of harvesting resources from the sea with cutting edge marine science and biotechnology. This is an area of priority in the High North Strategy. The aim is to position Norway as an attractive partner in this area.

7.    The need for integrated management plans

As I have outlined, different stakeholders want access to the oceans in the High North. Conflicts of interest may arise between these sectors, and must be handled in a responsible way.

The development of management plans based on robust knowledge will be crucial for our policy making.

The first such plan was the Norway’s integrated management plan for our part of the Barents Sea – Lofoten area from 2006. This plan helps us to ensure the balanced co-existence of different industries, combining human activities with ambitious environmental goals.

 

8.    Successful cooperation on fisheries

The concept of sustainability has been the basis for Norwegian fishery policy for many years. This could explain why Norway is consistently ranked at the top when it comes to fisheries management. I am sure that Minister Berg-Hansen would have been particularly proud to tell you about this.

The policy of sustainable marine resource management must be based on certain key principles: sustainable harvesting, consideration of the ecosystem, adequate regulations and an effective control and enforcement plan.

The main objective here is to maintain viable fish stocks in both biological and economical terms.

However, these principles can be undermined by the discarding of fish and illegal fishing.

In Norway we are particularly proud of the more than 30 years of fruitful cooperation between Norway and Russia on the management of joint stocks in the Barents Sea.  

This long-term collaboration on responsible management, research and control provides great benefits for fishermen and coastal communities on both sides of the border. It is an outstanding example of international cooperation in the field of fisheries.  And today we see that the biomass of cod is at the same high level as just after the Second World War. This is truly an illustration of the fruits that can be harvested from good cooperation in the Arctic.

As I mentioned earlier, there are a number of agreements regulating the various sectors.

Regional fisheries management organisations and arrangements, including the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) and the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission, already cover parts of the Arctic Ocean.

Regional fisheries management organisations  are the institutional framework for fisheries management on the high seas. This must also be the case for the Arctic Ocean.

I would also like to draw attention to the increasing need for research and data. A solid scientific foundation is essential for responsible utilisation of marine resources.

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) is the key provider of scientific advice on the management of fish stocks in the North Atlantic.

9.    Final comments

Finally I would like to summarise by underlining that:

-         The international legal framework in the High North is well established and should be respected by all nations.

-         Peace and stability are essential to Arctic cooperation.

-         The Arctic Council has become a well-functioning decision-shaping body for Arctic affairs.

-         The Arctic seas are used for a variety of activities. Integrated ocean management is essential.

-         We have smoothly functioning cooperation on fisheries.

 

I feel certain that the issues to be discussed this week will stimulate dialogue and connect people, giving rise to new ideas and collaboration.

This will put us in a better position to meet the challenges ahead and to take advantage of the benefits the oceans offer.  Perhaps most important of all, this could motivate us to manage our resources sustainably both now and for the generations to come.

I am delighted that so many experts and prominent guests from abroad have found time to attend this conference.

I wish you every success and hope you find time to enjoy Tromsø and its beautiful scenery.

Thank you.