WWF in the Arctic• Offices in Iqaluit and Inuvik

• Seek to promote sustainable development with minimal impact on wildlife; shipping is an essential service in the north.

• Work closely with communities, and work to support community led conservation initiatives.

• Eva Aariak, former premier of Nunavut is a WWF-Canada board member, and Joanassie Akumalik, former QWB executive director is a past board member.

• Global network – Norway, Russia, Sweden, US, Finland, Greenland

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Indigenous Use

• 50% of Inuit diet comes from the land and sea

• Arctic communities dependent on a healthy ocean for daily subsistence and culture

• Disturbance of any kind (access to hunting) will impact communities directly

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2016 Shipping Activity• VARD

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Beaufort Sea Partnership

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Two Months of Beaufort Sea Vessel Traffic

Nunavut Land Use Plan

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Hudson Strait Mariner’s Guide

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Many gaps exist in the plans and standards currently in place to regulate oil spill response:

Inadequate equipmentNational legal gapsIrregular maintenance & accessMinimal oil storage & disposalLack of capacity

Oil Spill Response

Ban the use of HFO as Arctic marine fuel Introduce community spill response 

plans Modernise equipment, communications 

and training Engage communities in spatial planning 

of ship traffic

Recommendations

Mary River Mine

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• Operationalize the highest risk areas first • Options for local vessel and environmental monitoring• Adequate spill response and a community spill response

plan is in place• Predictable and acceptable search and rescue response

times• Sufficient hydrographic data• An absence of known marine mammal feeding and

calving areas • Seasonal restrictions on marine mammal migration

routes • Speed limits to avoid disturbance to marine mammals,

including approach distances

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Low Impact Corridors

• Precedence given to hunting activities and subsistence use, which could result in temporarily suspending ship transits

• A ban on the use of polluting ship fuels like Heavy Fuel Oil

• A requirement for cruise ship support vessels• Zero discharge of untreated sewage and untreated

grey water • Frequent reporting into national and international

authorities

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Low Impact Corridors

• Zero discharge and exchange of ballast water or Arctic specific guidance to implement the Ballast Water Convention; and mandated biofouling/hull cleaning/antifouling systems

• Guidance in place for reducing impact on the habitat of ice; like restrictions on shipping during caribou crossings

• Guidance in place on operational underwater noise reduction

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Low Impact Corridors

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