Inuit leaders weary of increasing marine traffic in the North are demanding stronger federal regulations be put in place to ensure the protection of Arctic waters and wildlife.

"If there was ever an accident, we're the first people who will see the effects in our animals, in what we eat, so we have to prepared for that and we have to be very aware of that happening," says Paul Irgnaut, wildlife adviser for Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., which looks after Inuit land claims.

Ships sail on Arctic waters outside Pond Inlet.
(Patricia Bell/CBC)

Fifty-one Canadian and foreign vessels plied Arctic waters last year with several hundred transits in total. And it's only going to increase.

With the dawning of the International Polar Year in 2007, more research vessels are northbound. Add to that the growing popularity of Arctic cruises: In 2006, the number of tourism ships doubled to 22 from 11 last year. And, finally, exploration and development by mining and oil and gas companies is creating significant increases in overall water traffic.

While the movement barely compares with southern ports, remoteness and a limited ability to deal with emergencies and oil spills makes the North more vulnerable, Irgnaut says.

Refuelling an issue

David Qamaniq, mayor of Pond Inlet, a community of 1,300 people on the north half of Baffin Island, says until a deep-sea port is built in the North, there's nowhere for these ships to refuel.

"If they're going to be refuelling from one ship to another, we feel that there may be some environmental impacts," he said. 

Currently, ships head to Greenland or rely on vessels such as the Canadian Coast Guard for supplies.

To offset damage from potential oil spills, the coast guard has placed cleanup materials in 10 northern communities, including Rankin Inlet, Arctic Bay, and Coral Harbour. The equipment includes booms, skimmers and pumping systems to help communities deal with possible fuel spills.

Depots in Iqaluit, Tuktoyaktuk and Churchill have more significant caches to be used if spills exceed 1,000 tonnes. The coast guard also has a transportable system that can be airlifted to communities within 48 hours in the event of a considerable spill.
 
The Inuit leaders want Ottawa to reinforce these emergency measures and develop stricter rules to protect the environment.