For more information on the international conference "One of the
Best-Managed Wilderness Areas in the World: Achieving the Norwegian
Environmental Goal for Svalbard", to be held in Longyearbyen, Svalbard,
please contact:
Peter Prokosch, WWF Arctic Programme, +47/2203-6518 (pprokosch [at] wwf.no);
Rasmus Hansson, WWF-Norway, +47/2203-6514 (rhansson [at] wwf.no);
Samantha Smith, WWF Arctic Programme, +47/2203-6517 (ssmith [at] wwf.no);
Bjørn Frantzen, WWF contact in Longyearbyen, +47/7902-3745
(boff [at] online.no)
International Conference
"One of the Best-Managed Wilderness Areas in the World":
Achieving the Norwegian Environmental Goal for Svalbard
12-13 March 2001
Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Hosted by WWF Arctic Programme & WWF-Norway
CONFERENCE RATIONALE:
WWF believes that development on Svalbard is at a turning point. Choices
made now will determine whether Svalbard in ten, twenty, and thirty
years will still be a globally important wilderness area with unique
value for tourism and scientific research. We therefore will invite a
broad range of participants to discuss recent developments, longer range
planning, and what needs to be done to achieve the Norwegian state goal
of making Svalbard one of the best-managed wilderness areas in the
world.
The Svalbard Treaty of 1920 gave Norway sovereignty over Svalbard, the
high Arctic archipelago that contains some of the world's most untouched
wilderness. In 1995, the Norwegian state adopted the environmental goal
of making Svalbard one of the best-managed wilderness areas in the
world, and in June 2000 the Norwegian Parliament reaffirmed its
commitment to this principle.
Recent developments show significant progress towards this goal. Norway
will soon enact a new environmental law for Svalbard, which ideally will
ensure that future development is consistent with maintaining Svalbard's
wilderness qualities. In 2002, new protected areas are likely to be
added to those that already exist on Svalbard. New tourism regulations
are also in the works, aimed at addressing the recent explosive growth
of tourism on Svalbard.
At the same time, there are threats to Svalbard's continued status as
one of the world's great wilderness areas. The increase in tourism,
especially cruise and snowscooter tourism, is bringing more tourists to
more remote and fragile areas of Svalbard. The Norwegian coal company
Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani A/S opposes some of the suggested
new protected areas. It has launched ambitious plans to quadruple its
production, and to expand mining activities to new areas. In connection
with this, plans for new roads and power lines are still being
discussed. Like its Norwegian counterpart, the Russian coal company
Trust Arktikugol also opposes some of the new protected areas, plans to
increase production and is interested in building a new road. Gold
mining and the Russian discovery of oil and gas on Svalbard represent
longer term but no less serious concerns.
CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES:
To discuss the implications of the Norwegian environmental goal for
Svalbard for tourism, mining, and research. Are these activities
consistent with this goal now? In the long term? Can measures be taken
to ensure that they are consistent? What are those measures?Using the conference discussion as a background, WWF will draft
recommendations for how to achieve the Norwegian environmental goal for
Svalbard. These recommendations will be WWF's contribution to the coming
debates over coal mining, tourism regulations, the new environmental law
for Svalbard, and the proposed new protected areas there. Conference
participants may endorse the recommendations if they wish, but in the
absence of endorsement these will be WWF's views alone.
ISSUES TO COVER:
WILDERNESS PROTECTION
What does the goal of making Svalbard one of the best-managed wilderness
areas in the world mean? What is the definition of a wilderness area?
What is good wilderness management, and what would best practice in this
area be?
How will the proposed new environmental law contribute to making
Svalbard one of the best-managed wilderness areas in the world?
Will the proposed new protected areas be sufficient to maintain
Svalbard's wilderness quality? Is the WWF proposal for an integrated
protection system covering the entire archipelago, with use zones for
the four settlements, a better long-term way to maintain wilderness
quality?
What regulations currently apply to areas that are not specifically
protected? What is the effect of these regulations in the field? Should
there be additional regulation, or different practice?
TOURISM
Is the anticipated growth of tourism on Svalbard consistent with making
the archipelago one of the best-managed wilderness areas in the world?
What new planning measures or limits are currently proposed for tourism
on Svalbard? Are other measures needed to ensure that tourism does not
affect Svalbard's wilderness quality?
Is the use of snowmobiles for tourism consistent with good wilderness
management?
What effects does cruise tourism currently have on wilderness quality on
Svalbard, and what effects could it have in the future?
MINING
Can subsidized coal mining, including its infrastructure, be consistent
with making Svalbard one of the best-managed wilderness areas in the
world? If so, what measures or limits are necessary?
Does the Mining Act limit the state's ability to protect areas on
Svalbard? Would it prevent the state from implementing the WWF proposal
for an integrated protected area system covering the entire archipelago?
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
What impacts does the current level of scientific research, including
related transport and infrastructure, have on Svalbard's wilderness
quality? Will research have greater impacts on Svalbard's wilderness
quality in the future? What limits on research and its infrastructure
are currently proposed, and should there be additional limits?
CONFERENCE FORMAT
Presentations by speakers addressing the above questions, with
discussion.
Proposed Invited Representatives/Speakers:
The meeting will be open to all who wish to attend. To assure broad and
representative participation, WWF will invite the following institutions
and organizations to participate. Some will also be asked to give
presentations.
GOVERNMENT
High-level representatives of the following Norwegian ministries:
- Environment
- Foreign Affairs
- Justice (also representing the Coordination Committee of the
Interparliamentary Polar Board)
- Industry (to be contacted)
Representatives from the Governor of Svalbard's office and local
government:
Morten Ruud, Governor of Svalbard (confirmed; introduction speech)
Carl Erik Kilander, head of the environment department for the
Governor's office (confirmed; theme on environmental regulations on
Svalbard to be formulated)
Sigmund Spjelkavik, Svalbard Community (confirmed; will provide theme
after getting this outline)
INDUSTRY
Individual tour operators (Norwegian and international) with operations
on Svalbard, among them:
Ulf Prytz/Svalbard Polar Travel (confirmed; theme on tourism and
regulations on Svalbard to be formulated)
Andreas Umbreit/Spitzbergen Tours (likely to participate; is formulating
a theme on land-based tourism)
Bärbel Krämer/Hapag Lloyd Seetouristik (confirmed; "How ship-based
tourism can contribute to the Norwegian wilderness goal for Svalbard")
Ko de Korte/Oceanwide (confirmed; "Uniform and strict rules for the
whole Svalbard archipelago are beneficial for nature protection and
wilderness experience")
Svalbard Reiselivsrådet (confirmed, Trond Øverås, topic to be given
later)
DNT (Øystein Dahle to be contacted)
Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani (to be contacted)
Trust Arktikugol (to be contacted)
RESEARCH
Norwegian Polar Institute, including
Pal Prestrud (confirmed; "How can Research Contribute to Make Svalbard
one of the Best Managed Wilderness Areas?"),
Øystein Overrein (confirmed; "Criteria for Wilderness Management in
Context of the Svalbard Goal")
Monica Kristensen Solas/ Kings Bay (confirmed; "Waste management at 79
degrees North")
UNIS, Rolf Langvatn (to be contacted)
Christian Nellemann, NINA, Lillehammer (confirmed; "Cumulative Impacts
of Tourism and Development on Svalbard")
Representatives from foreign research institutions active on Svalbard,
including:
Roland Neuber/Alfred Wegener Institute, Bremerhaven (confirmed,
provisional title: Short Review of Research Projects at the German
Koldewey-
Station in Ny-Alesund, with Relevance for the Wilderness Goal on
Svalbard")
LEGAL ISSUES
Geir Ulfstein, professor, University of Oslo judicial faculty
(confirmed; "How does the Mining Code limit Norway's Possibilities to
introduce more nature Conservation on Svalbard?")
Inge Lorange Backer, chair, Svalbard Environmental Law Committee (to be
asked)
CONSERVATION
WWF Arctic Programme and WWF-Norway
Norges Naturvernforbundet (to be contacted)
USER/INTEREST GROUPS
FRIFO
Jeger og Fisker
Logistics/Organisation:
CONFERENCE LOCATION: UNIS, Longyearbyen, Svalbard.
CONFERENCE LANGUAGE: English.
RECEPTION: There will be a reception, sponsored by WWF, on Monday
evening, 12 March, at UNIS.
ACCOMMODATIONS AND TRAVEL: Should be arranged by the participants
themselves, although WWF will try to negotiate a package deal for
participants through SPITRA. All participants, including invited
participants, are expected to cover their own travel and accommodations
costs.
CONTACTS:
Peter Prokosch, WWF Arctic Programme, +47/2203-6518 (pprokosch [at] wwf.no);
Rasmus Hansson, WWF-Norway, +47/2203-6514 (rhansson [at] wwf.no);
Samantha Smith, WWF Arctic Programme, +47/2203-6517 (ssmith [at] wwf.no);
Bjørn Frantzen, WWF contact in Longyearbyen, +47/7902-3745
(boff [at] online.no)