(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
Once again, the oil industry mobilizes without scruples to look for oil outside Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja. In other words, internationally valuable and highly vulnerable marine areas will again be the subject of a political struggle for power, voters, positions and, not least, money. The mood is strikingly different in a couple of the other Arctic countries. Both the United States and Canada provide areas similar to Lofoten with lasting protection.
USA: Bristol Bay. Alaska's Lofoten, Bristol Bay, is permanently protected from oil activity. Bristol Bay is more than twice as large as Svalbard, has world-class natural values, and can well be compared to the oceans off Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja.
In 2010, President Obama imposed a temporary ban on oil and gas exploration in this area, where more than 50 percent of the world's Pacific salmon come from. In 2014, Obama made the ban permanent. "These areas are just too special and too valuable to be given away for oil exploration," he said when the area was protected.
In Bristol Bay, 40 per cent of all wild fish are fished in the United States, including the Pacific salmon swimming here and making the watercourses in the area very good salmon rivers. The area is also rich in walruses, killer whales, white whales, seals and seabirds. The President of the United States has realized what values he is set to manage, and therefore protects the area. The Norwegian prime minister is asking the oil industry to propose its favorite areas for oil exploration in the Arctic, and will not provide lasting protection anywhere.
Canada: Lancaster Sound. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pledged to protect five percent of the country's oceans by the end of next year. First in line is the valuable Lancaster Sound, which has previously been opened for oil exploration. At an environmental conference organized by WWF-Canada in June this year, Shell Canada announced that it has given its 30 exploration licenses in the area to Canadian environmental authorities. This contributed to a sharp increase in the pace of establishing a marine conservation area here.
Lancaster Sound will become the nation's largest marine conservation area – with natural values making it Canada's answer to Lofoten. The Canadian Prime Minister has obviously also realized what values he is set to manage. It is a pity for Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja that Norway does not have a prime minister who has the same relationship to irreplaceable nature.
Norway: Lofoten. While environmentalists in Canada and the United States celebrate the protection of vulnerable and valuable Arctic areas, the environmental movement in Norway is preparing for another round of oil drilling in Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja. Three times before, environmentalists have won the battle for oil exploration in these areas. For 25 years, the discussions and the dragon fight have been going on.
During this period, a number of new arguments have emerged. The climate threat is real and something everyone must deal with. Statoil CEO Eldar Sætre recently claimed that a development in Lofoten will be good for the climate – because the world needs the "pure" Norwegian oil and gas. It falls on its own unreasonableness. The world does not need Norwegian fossil energy, which leads to ever higher greenhouse gas emissions. The world needs renewable energy.
If we are to limit the most extreme consequences of climate change, two thirds of the known fossil reserves must remain in the ground. When oil fields are located in particularly valuable and vulnerable natural areas, it should be a matter of course that we leave this oil lying first.
Jensen is Secretary General of WWF Norway. njensen@wwf.no
