AECO’s respons to Svalbardpostens article “Swarms of high-speed Zodiacs”
Posted: 01 March. 2023
The use of words such as “swarms”, “hordes” and “cattle” to describe visitors to Svalbard is starting to look like a deliberate strategy to undermine the cruise industry, and to create and reinforce a negative attitude towards this group of tourists.
Under the headline “Fearing swarms of high-speed Zodiacs”, Governor Lars Fause talks about emergency preparedness and the risk of oil spills, while Assistant Governor Sølvi Elvedahl paints a dramatic picture of cruise tourism in Svalbard as an irresponsible industry out of control, which she believes represents increased safety risk and environmental disturbance.
Sightseeing with small boats from mother vessels is presented in this context as a new and growing problem, under the caricatured title “Zodiac tourism”.
The picture lacks grounding in reality:
- Of the 75,000 cruise tourists expected to visit Svalbard in 2023, the large conventional cruise ships will represent 50,000 passengers. These vessels do not engage in sightseeing from mother vessels.
- 25,000 expedition cruise tourists are expected. This is not an increase from 2022, and no major increase in expedition cruise tourism to Svalbard is expected in the coming years.
- The Norwegian Maritime Authority does not facilitate sightseeing from mother vessels. They propose a security regulation of a legal activity that has existed in Svalbard since the beginning of cruise tourism. This is an activity that is not specific to Svalbard.
- Contrary to the rules for similar activities starting from shore, a minimum of two boats must sail together to ensure quick assistance to each other.
- The boats must stay closer than 2.5 nautical miles from the mother vessel and specific safety equipment is required on board.
- Flotation suits are still part of the safety equipment. The alternative proposed by the NMA is considered to have better insulation, higher buoyancy, and greater safety than what the flotation suits represent.
- We are talking about sightseeing, not speeding. The industry has not opposed speed restrictions for these operations.
- The risk (probability of event x consequence) is calculated as low. There are many such operations every day, and few incidents. There is no evidence to claim that there are major security risks in these operations.
- The activity is subject to the same laws and regulations as other activities with regard to the environment.
The regulations proposed by the Norwegian Maritime Authority are a regulation that formalizes safety in these operations. The regulations have been in place for many years, and for the past three years the industry has operated under the rules that the NMA now wants adopted.
The Governor of Svalbard and the Norwegian Environment Agency want to close as much of Svalbard as possible for shore landings from cruise ships. Now the Governor of Svalbard and the Ministry of Climate and Environment show that they also want to prevent operations at sea. The Norwegian Maritime Authority has expertise and authority on maritime safety, and the proposed regulations are safety regulations. In our view, if other authorities can stop this regulation with environmental arguments or general arguments against tourism, it is contrary to the purpose of the regulations and the NMA’s competence. It is also contrary to the general conception of law.
The Norwegian Maritime Authority has expertise and authority on maritime safety, and the proposed regulations are safety regulations. In our view, if other authorities can stop this regulation with environmental arguments or general arguments against tourism, it is contrary to the purpose of the regulations and the NMA’s competence. It is also contrary to the general conception of law.
The forthcoming parliamentary announcement must clarify whether there should be tourism and cruise tourism in Svalbard. The current lack of coherence between current policy guidelines and management is perceived as slow suffocation, and is unsustainable.
Frigg Jørgensen, Executive Director, AECO