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NOAA wants cautious approach in Arctic
Given the changes that are occurring in the Arctic as a result of retreating sea ice in the region, a coordinated approach to environmental management is needed in response to new activities, new demands for information and new environmental threats, said Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, during the 4th Symposium on the Impacts of an Ice-Diminished Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations, held in Washington, D.C., June 20-22. Lubchenco said that NOAA released its “Arctic Vision and Strategy” earlier this year.
Arctic challenges As the sea ice retreats Native communities are struggling with the need to relocate some coastal villages, and with impacts on subsistence hunting; the maritime community is considering the possibility of opening new Arctic trade routes; and the oil industry is seeking permits for offshore drilling, Lubchenco said. At the same time there is pressure for the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy to maintain a “response-ready” presence. And NOAA is becoming inundated with requests for Arctic weather forecasts; disaster warnings; up-to-date navigation charts; tide tables; elevation data; oceanographic information; and baseline data for species and ecosystem protection, she said.
NOAA’s strategy for the Arctic envisages a focus on weather and sea ice forecasting; foundational scientific work on the observation and modeling of the Arctic climate and ecosystem changes; and support for developing an improved infrastructure for marine transportation, oil spill response and improved community resilience to changing conditions, Lubchenco said.
National ocean and Arctic policies, coupled with international research collaboration, are beginning to catch up with scientific and indigenous knowledge of what is happening in the Arctic, but “more holistic approaches” are needed in meeting goals to address the changing Arctic conditions, Lubchenco said. Environmental management needs to take into account the interacting and collective impacts of diverse activities, rather than considering individual activity sectors, activities or animal species in isolation, in an integrated approach to “use the Arctic ecosystems without using them up,” she said.
Caution needed It is necessary to “err on the side of caution,” especially when dealing with actions that may have very long lasting or irreversible environmental impacts, she said, citing the ban on commercial fishing in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas as an example. And, while recognizing that change in the Arctic has global ramifications, the people of the Arctic must have a strong voice in determining their own future, incorporating their perspectives into decision making. Management and policy decisions must be grounded in science, recognizing the need for extra attention on safety, communications, contingency planning and vigilance in the challenging and changing Arctic environment, Lubchenco said.
Collaboration and openness are essential in future Arctic decision making, she said.
—Alan Bailey
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