As travellers flock to Greenland in droves to absorb its breathtaking icebergs and pure magnificence, authorities are mulling methods to regulate tourism to guard the delicate atmosphere, already threatened by international warming.
“It’s a dream vacation spot,” stated Yves Gleyze, a veteran off-the-beaten-track French vacationer in his 60s as he arrived on the airport in Ilulissat.
Guests to the third-biggest city within the Danish autonomous territory are met by a rugged, austere landscape of grey rock and sparse vegetation.
However mesmerising views of large icebergs come into sight after only a quick drive.
Breaking off from the Ilulissat glacier within the neighbouring fjord, the majestic blocks of ice drift slowly by in Disko Bay, the occasional whale making an look. The postcard views attracted 50,000 vacationers in 2021, greater than 10 occasions the city’s inhabitants. Greater than half make solely a brief pit cease throughout an Arctic cruise.
Numbers are anticipated to swell with the opening of a world airport within the subsequent two years, a great addition to the island’s revenues but in addition a problem, given the delicate — and melting — ecosystem.
Controlling tourism as icebergs get smaller in Greenland
Prior to now 40 years, the Arctic has warmed practically 4 occasions quicker than the remainder of the planet, in accordance with a current scientific examine.
“We will see adjustments every single day brought on by local weather change: the icebergs are getting smaller, the glacier is retreating,” stated mayor Palle Jeremiassen.
Thawing permafrost can be threatening the steadiness of some buildings and infrastructure.
With the stainless panorama so coveted by vacationers altering, officers are decided to guard it with out turning away vacationers. “We need to management the arrival of vacationer ships right here,” stated Jeremiassen, noting the dangers posed by the highly-polluting vessels.
To be able to shield the atmosphere and group, Ilulissat ought to solely welcome “one ship max per day, max one thousand vacationers per ship,” he stated.
Not too long ago, three cruise ships arrived on the identical day, spewing out 6,000 guests.
Jeremiassen stated the city’s infrastructure isn’t designed to accommodate such numbers, neither is it ready to make sure that vacationers respect protected areas, notably within the fjord.
Close by Iceland, the place the tourism business has been flourishing for 20 years, is an instance of how to not do issues, he insisted. “We don’t need to be like Iceland. We don’t need mass tourism. We need to management tourism right here. That’s the important thing now we have to seek out.”
Fishermen feeling the affect
Greenland has loved self-rule since 2009 however hopes to realize full independence from Denmark sooner or later.
To take action means it must get by with out subsidies from Copenhagen, which presently make up a 3rd of its funds. It has but to discover a technique to stand alone financially, and for now, its major pure useful resource is the ocean.
In Ilulissat, one in three locals dwell off fishing, which accounts for many of Greenland’s revenues. However local weather change is having a huge impact.
“Again once I was younger we had pack ice we might stroll on,” stated Lars Noasen, the captain of a vacationer boat as he navigated deftly between iceberg particles in Disko Bay. “Now the pack ice isn’t so stable anymore. You possibly can’t use it for something, you possibly can’t dogsled on the ice and fish like within the outdated days.”
Prior to now 20 years, Greenland’s large ice cap has misplaced 4.7 trillion tonnes of ice, contributing to a sea stage rise of 1.2 centimetres by itself, in accordance with Danish Arctic researchers.
The disappearing ice has affected fishermen. “The ice situations are altering. The principle fjord was once closed off by enormous icebergs and sea ice and so they (the fishermen) weren’t capable of sail in earlier than,” stated Sascha Schiott, a researcher on the Greenland Institute of Pure Sources
Now they’ll. Boats are additionally capable of head out fishing year-round now, which has elevated fishermen’s hauls.
However the dimension of the fish they’re catching has decreased, largely because of overfishing, says Schiott.
Ejner Inusgtuk, a craggy-faced fisherman making ready his strains within the port, disagreed and stated local weather change is in charge. “The local weather is simply too heat.”
This story was revealed by way of AFP Relaxnews
(Most important and Featured picture: Odd Andersen/ AFP)
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