AECO’s existing site specific guidelines for Svalbard

Site Guidelines for Greenland: Feasibility Study

Copenhagen, September 2014 PROJECT OUTLINE In 2014, project partner Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) in cooperation with primary project partner Visit Greenland and others received 80.000 DKK from the Nordic Council of Ministers Arctic Co-operation Program (NORDREGIO) to carry out a Greenland site guidelines feasibility study workshop in Copenhagen on August 26th and 27th.

Svalbard

TABLE OF CONTENTS What are site guidelines? Goal of Greenland site guidelines feasibility study workshop Feasibility study project organization

- Project Group - Steering Committee

Overall conclusion of Workshop Outcome in regard to an adaptation to Greenland

- Site inspection model - Site inspection timeframe - Number of sites to prioritize - Site inspection method - Project organization - Composition of the project group - General areas to prioritize - Sites to prioritize - Inhabited or uninhabited sites

Budget Ongoing project communication with all relevant bodies Funding applications International project context When to carry out a site inspection? Résumé Résumé in Danish

Site inspection in Svalbard

WHAT ARE SITE GUIDELINES? In a nutshell, site guidelines are site-specific visitor instructions that explain in practical, easy-to-understand terms how to approach an area in order to minimize negative impact on Arctic flora, fauna, culture and cultural remains. AECO, with funding from Svalbard Environmental protection Fund, has previously produced 20 site-specific guidelines for Svalbard, which can be viewed and downloaded as PDF documents via: http://www.aeco.no/guidelines/site-guidelines/ Site guidelines may consist of voluntary, industry-adapted best practices as well as mandatory or binding requirements. They usually are created in close cooperation among the expedition cruise industry, the local authorities/operators, local communities and experts in disciplines such as geology, biology, archaeology, history and nature preservation. The Svalbard site guidelines were a success and as a result, AECO and Visit Greenland decided to initiate a project to find out if an approach could be developed to create a similar set of visitor guidelines for Greenland. GOAL OF GREENLAND SITE GUIDELINES FEASIBILITY STUDY WORKSHOP The overall goal of the workshop in Copenhagen was to determine if—and if so, how—site-specific guidelines, like those in Svalbard, could and should be developed for specific sites in Greenland.

FEASIBILITY STUDY PROJECT ORGANIZATION The project work was carried out by a project group, whose members attended the in-person-meeting in Copenhagen, and a steering committee. Project Group The project group was comprised of individuals with specialized, hands-on knowledge relevant for the project. The project group’s main responsibilities were to identify and develop an approach for adapting AECO’s existing site-specific guidelines (using the Svalbard project as a template) into a viable plan for Greenland. The Project Group that met at the Copenhagen workshop consisted of:

• Dagmar Hagen, Researcher, Norwegian Institute of Nature Research (NINA), who had developed the methodology used in connection with the two previous site guidelines projects in Svalbard and by the Governor of Svalbard in site vulnerability assessments.

• Pauline Knudsen, Archaeologist & Curator, Greenland National Museum & Archives who is responsible for management of the heritage sites in Greenland.

• Jørn Henriksen, Representative of Hurtigruten and expedition vessel MS Fram management, and Chair of AECO’s executive committee, with experience from the previous Svalbard site guidelines project, as well as the practical and operational side of Hurtigruten’s operations in Greenland and Svalbard.

• Martin Schiøtz, Special Advisor, Department of Nature, Greenland Ministry of Environment and Nature, who deals with the country’s nature preservation issues. The Department of Nature is also the administrative body that deals with Greenlandic expedition cruise permits.

• Ko de Korte, Representative from Oceanwide Expeditions and AECO’s Greenland Resource Group. Ko de Korte has worked with operations in Greenland and Svalbard for many years and has a thorough knowledge about Greenlandic expedition cruise operations. He also has experience from the Svalbard site guidelines project.

• Anders U. la Cour Vahl, Deputy Director, Visit Greenland. Visit Greenland was the primary application partner, who together with AECO initially applied for funding for this project. Visit Greenland works to improve tourism management in the country and supports initiatives like this feasibility study and workshop.

• Frigg Jørgensen, Executive Director, AECO, which is the official project owner, initiator and project leader of the earlier mentioned Svalbard Site Guideline Project.

Also present at the Copenhagen workshop was Ilja Leo Lang, Office Manager, AECO. He served as the project group secretary and project manager.

Feasibility study project Group, Copenhagen 2014 (from left: Ilja Lang, Anders la Cour, Pauline Knudsen, Ko de Korte, Dagmar Hagen, Martin Schiøtz, Frigg Jørgensen & Jørn Henriksen)

FEASIBILITY STUDY PROJECT ORGANIZATION (continued)

Steering Committee The work of the project group and preparation of the workshop was overseen by a steering committee. The Steering Committee consisted of:

• Anders U. la Cour Vahl, Deputy Director, Visit Greenland

• Frigg Jørgensen, Executive Director of AECO

• Jørn Henriksen, Representative of Hurtigruten and MS Fram management; Chair of the AECO executive committee.

OVERALL CONCLUSION OF WORKSHOP The overall conclusion of the workshop was that a possible future Greenland site guidelines project has the potential to strengthen Greenland as a cruise destination and create a better, more sustainable and more informed use of a number of selected sites. Furthermore, such a project would make an important contribution in overcoming communication and information challenges between tourists and destinations, particularly since communication and knowledge sharing is of great importance in the Arctic.

Little Aucks in Svalbard

OUTCOME IN REGARD TO AN ADAPTATION TO GREENLAND The project group agreed that a site-specific guidelines project for Greenland should take advantage of the experience gained and the lessons learned during the site guideline projects and expeditions in Svalbard from 2011 to 2013. At the same time, the differences between Greenland and Svalbard should be taken into account, the main differences being:

• The vast distances between Greenlandic communities and the length of the

Greenlandic shoreline;

• The presence of an indigenous Greenlandic population (there is no indigenous

population in Svalbard); and

• The different social and cultural context such as the legal framework acts, laws

and regulations concerning the Greenlandic National Park, Greenland’s nature,

pre-historic remains, archeology, flora and fauna, etc.

In regard to the important question of how the site guideline methodology used by AECO in connection with the site guideline projects in Svalbard could be utilized in Greenland, the project group decided on the following tentative conditions or framework for a future adaptation of the site guideline model for Greenland1:

1 Here it is important to stress that the following conditions or framework are only the starting point for a site

guidelines project. If changes are later deemed necessary, a future project group should not be bound to these, as

they are only intended as a starting point and initial directive.

Site inspection in Svalbard

SITE INSPECTION MODEL Inspection by vessel, with project work onboard: same model as in Svalbard. SITE INSPECTION TIMEFRAME A site inspection expedition should take at least seven to ten days but could—if resources allow—be expanded to more; e.g. twelve days. In this connection, it is good to know that the first Svalbard site guideline expedition was seven days and the second ten days. However, it should be noted that distances between relevant sites in Greenland are greater than the distances in Svalbard. NUMBER OF SITES TO PRIORITIZE Ideally, two sites should be inspected per day. A minimum number of site visits in regards to a Greenland site guidelines project expedition should be eight to ten. More would be better. SITE INSPECTION METHOD The methodology developed by the Norwegian Institute of Nature Research (NINA), which was used in connection with the earlier AECO site guidelines project, should also be used in regard to the site assessment in this project, with certain changes to the method in order to accommodate for the different social and cultural context present in Greenland and the presence of an indigenous Greenlandic population.

Site Inspection Project Group in Svalbard

PROJECT ORGANIZATION A future Greenland site guidelines project should be carried out by:

• An Experts Group (project group) with hands-on experience in regard to site-use and evaluation. A significant part of this group will be individuals with specialized Greenlandic knowledge. The project group will perform the actual site inspection.

• A Steering Committee that will oversee and approve the project leader and the project group’s work. The Steering Committee will include the primary project partners AECO and Visit Greenland.

• A Reference Group, which will serve as an external advisory group in regard to the project work.

COMPOSITION OF THE PROJECT GROUP The workshop agreed that the participants of a future Greenland site guidelines project group should consist of a number of experts within different relevant fields, such as archeology, biology, botany, ornithology, zoology, geology, glaciology, history and photography. The group should also include maritime experts and representatives from the project secretariat, project partners, the expedition cruise industry (such as expedition leaders, guides and managers of operations departments), local outfitters and tour operators and/or international operators. In addition, the workshop found it advantageous to involve the Norwegian Institute of Nature Research (NINA) in this project. NINA developed the methodology in connection with the two earlier site guideline expeditions in Svalbard. Its involvement will allow NINA to build on their existing methodology for site vulnerability assessments, and this refinement of the process will ultimately assist the Greenland site guidelines project as well.

Overview of AECO’s existing site guideline sites in Svalbard from http://www.aeco.no/guidelines/site-guidelines/

WHAT GENERAL AREAS TO PRIORITIZE? At the workshop, the project group had a lengthy “pros and cons” discussion in regard to carrying out a site guidelines project in East or West Greenland, acknowledging that it would be too expensive to do both at the same time. In the end, the project group members and participants unanimously agreed that a site guidelines project for West Greenland would be the best initial way forward. The main ‘pros’ were:

• The larger number of people benefitting from site guidelines in West Greenland due to the larger number of people living there and the fact that more cruise guests arrive in West Greenland on different expedition cruise vessels;

• The lower risks of a failure in West Greenland because of fewer foreseeable infrastructure challenges and inclement weather or ice conditions; and better value regarding resource utilization and ease of logistics compared to East Greenland.

• The larger development potential for the site guideline model because of the greater difference between Svalbard and West Greenland than Svalbard and East Greenland.

The main ‘cons’ were:

• The larger risk of ‘conflict‘ involved with a site guidelines project in an area with more people (West Greenland) than fewer people (East Greenland)

• The larger number of administrative bodies that needs to be contacted (municipalities, local businesses operators, etc.) in West Greenland.

Site Inspection Project Group in Svalbard

SITES TO PRIORITIZE At the workshop, the project group discussed the possible criteria to be evaluated in selecting specific sites. The criteria included:

• The number of sites (i.e. the importance of having a sufficient number);

• Existing use of sites based on statistics about landings;

• Input from operators and others (for example the Greenlandic administration and municipalities) regarding the need for site guidelines at specific localities;

• The size of a site (sites should be of various sizes)

• The use of a site (sites should be representative of various and/or diverse activities that take place);

• The qualities and vulnerability of a site (again, a range of sites based on these criteria is advantageous);

• The challenges in regards to landings;

• Geographical variation; and

• Potential common interests in relieving the pressure of frequent use on other nearby sites, or an interest in ‘channeling’ visits to a particular site.

INHABITED OR UNINHABITED SITES The workshop agreed that it would be best not to create site guidelines for inhabited sites; i.e. towns or settlements. Site guidelines could be made for sites adjacent to or even in settlements or towns, but the actual settlement or town would not constitute the site itself.

MS Stockholm in Svalbard

BUDGET With the Svalbard site guidelines project, AECO carried out two site inspection expeditions. The first inspection took place in 2011. The duration of this trip was seven days and the budget 750.000 NOK. For this first expedition, the focus was developing a universal site guideline design and site inspection methodology. In 2012, AECO got funding for a second site inspection expedition. The duration of this second trip was ten days and the budget was 950.000 NOK. One of the keys to the Svalbard project’s success was the setup, whereby a vessel accessed sites and the project group worked during the transportation time between sites. Because of the longer distances in Greenland than in Svalbard, a site guidelines expedition might be more costly than in Svalbard. The site inspection work was done under the same conditions as a tourist operation in the very same places, which in many regards reinforced the results. Regarding the costs of such inspection work for the Greenland project, it is important to note that chartering a vessel is expensive. Also, securing the required expertise for the project group—for which members will have to set aside at least a week—might involve costs. In addition to their normal job workloads, project partners will have to put in many months of working hours in order to complete the project. Some of these hours will need to be covered by the budget. Last but not least, once the final product (i.e. the site guidelines) has been published, there is always a need to correct mistakes and inconsistencies, and an allocation in the budget should be set aside for this. ONGOING PROJECT COMMUNICATION WITH ALL RELEVANT BODIES The project will aim to have an ongoing dialogue with the Greenland Government and other relevant bodies throughout the process.

Expedition cruise tourism in Svalbard

FUNDING APPLICATIONS AECO is going to apply for sufficient funding for an initial full-scale Greenland site guidelines inspection expedition. The most important challenges in this regard are finding a suitable vessel to charter, estimating charter and running costs onboard (fuel, provisions, etc.) and budgeting round-trip transportation costs for the expert project group to the designated starting point (if they are not already living there). At this point, AECO has a non-binding mutual charter agreement with a vessel owner and has contacted possible project group members in order to estimate their related expenses. The final budget will be based on the experience of AECO’s previous site guideline expeditions in Svalbard. To make sure adequate funding is secured, AECO will apply for funding from between five and ten different sources. INTERNATIONAL PROJECT CONTEXT As AECO is currently involved with the development of similar site specific guidelines for other areas such as Russia’s Arctic National Park and the Canadian Arctic. The overall project focus will continue to involve the latest gained experiences from these neighboring polar areas, and also continually include lessons learned from AECO’s existing site guidelines project in Svalbard. WHEN TO CARRY OUT A SITE-INSPECTION? If AECO is successful in acquiring sufficient funds by March or April 2015, a site guidelines inspection could take place in the period from July to August 2015. A limiting factor regarding such a timeframe could be the availability of a vessel that fits the purpose. If it is not possible to get an appropriate vessel, the site inspection might have to be postponed to 2016.

Expedition cruise tourism in Svalbard

RESUMÉ A full-scale site guidelines project for Greenland is feasible. The project’s primary goal is increased sustainability, cooperation and an attempt—through innovation—to take advantage of the best regional practices to promote sustainable expedition cruise tourism. Ultimately, this benefits local Greenlandic businesses, destinations, resident population and the region as a whole. RESUMÉ IN DANISH Der er muligt at udvikle stedspecifikke retningslinjer for Grønland. Formålet med sådanne sted-specifikke retningslinjer vil være øget bæredygtighed og samarbejde med henblik på, gennem innovation og brug af ’best-practice’, at promovere ansvarlig ekspeditionskrydstogtsturisme til fordel for lokale grønlandske virksomheder, destinationer, den grønlandske befolkning og regionen som helhed.