The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of 3 February, 2025

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Arctic Cruise Tourism Returns Despite Environmental Concerns

On February 3, 2025, Cruise Industry News reported that Ponant’s luxury icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot will return to the Arctic for the 2026-27 winter season. The vessel will operate 15 expeditions between October 2026 and February 2027, with itineraries spanning Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Canada. According to Ponant, the cruises will offer guests opportunities to witness the Northern Lights and explore Arctic landscapes. The company highlights its use of hybrid-electric propulsion and notes that Le Commandant Charcot is the world’s first passenger ship to be built to Polar Class 2 standards for year-round operations in ice-covered waters. (Cruise Industry News)

Take 1: The return of luxury cruise tourism to the Arctic raises serious concerns about its long-term sustainability. While operators market these expeditions as eco-friendly, the reality is that large cruise vessels contribute to pollution, disturb wildlife, and strain fragile Arctic ecosystems. Increased maritime traffic in sensitive polar waters contributes to environmental degradation of a region already experiencing rapid change. The influx of large tourist groups also strains small Arctic communities with limited infrastructure and emergency response capabilities. As demonstrated by past incidents, search and rescue operations in harsh Arctic conditions present severe challenges when vessels encounter trouble far from assistance. Additionally, increased cruise activity encourages further development in the Arctic, which conflicts with global climate objectives and the region’s ecological sensitivity. As Arctic tourism expands, stricter regulations and environmental safeguards will be necessary to ensure that economic interests do not outweigh the need to protect the region. (Cruise Industry News, Forbes, High North News)

Arctic Geoengineering Project Shut Down

On February 3, 2025, Climate Home News reported that the U.S.-based nonprofit Arctic Ice Project (AIP) has canceled its geoengineering experiment in Alaska due to environmental concerns. The project aimed to release tiny silica particles over Arctic sea ice to reflect sunlight and slow melting. The organization cited concerns over potential disruptions to the food chain and broader ecosystem, skepticism toward geoengineering, funding challenges, and resistance to introducing foreign materials into Arctic waters as reasons for the project’s termination. (Climate Home News)

Take 2: The cancellation of AIP’s project reflects a broader skepticism toward geoengineering as a solution to climate change, particularly in the Arctic. While its silica particle method sought to artificially enhance reflectivity and slow ice loss, opposition from Indigenous groups echoed long-standing concerns over the risks of large-scale climate interventions. The Sámi Council previously led objections to a similar project in 2021, blocking a proposed test in Sweden that would have released reflective aerosols into the stratosphere. Their resistance, along with that of other Indigenous organizations, has shaped policy discussions by emphasizing the dangers of interfering with natural systems without fully understanding the consequences. Internationally, the United Nations reaffirmed its moratorium on large-scale geoengineering at COP16, underscoring global concerns about the ethical and ecological risks of such projects. AIP’s shutdown signals a continued reluctance to rely on climate interventions, reinforcing the argument that solutions should prioritize emissions reductions and ecosystem restoration rather than technological fixes. (Inuit Circumpolar Council, Inside Climate News, Nature)

Arctic Mud Volcano Revealed as Key Marine Sanctuary

On February 4th, Earth.com reported that scientists from UiT The Arctic University of Norway and REV Ocean discovered that the Borealis mud volcano in the Barents Sea provides habitat for diverse marine life. The carbonate crusts of the formation support species such as anemones, serpulids, demosponges, and red-listed fish like the redfish. The researchers also identified methane seepage and noted that the carbonate structures may serve as natural protection from bottom trawling. (Earth.com)

Take 3: The discovery of the Borealis mud volcano highlights the Arctic’s role as a refuge for unique marine ecosystems, many of which remain unexplored. As sea ice retreats, previously inaccessible areas are revealing extraordinary biodiversity. However, industrial activity in the region is expanding, placing these habitats at growing risk. Illegal fishing in Arctic waters continues to challenge conservation efforts, with commercial species like cod and redfish facing increasing pressure. The presence of valuable fish species near Borealis makes it particularly vulnerable to overfishing, which could destabilize the local ecosystem. Additionally, the emerging deep-sea mining industry raises concerns about habitat destruction, as extraction of seabed minerals could disrupt fragile environments like this one. The Arctic has long been viewed as a resource frontier, but discoveries like Borealis underscore the need for conservation. Protecting such formations is vital not only for preserving undiscovered Arctic marine life but also for global food security, as these ecosystems support valuable fish populations that could be destabilized by the loss of such crucial habitats. (Earth.com, World Wildlife Fund)

Finland and Sweden Strengthen Arctic Police Cooperation

On February 1, 2025, Eye on the Arctic reported that Finland and Sweden have implemented a new agreement to enhance police cooperation in their shared northern border regions. The agreement allows law enforcement from both countries to cross the border under specific conditions to respond to serious crimes, including homicide, aggravated assault, and organized crime. The cooperation covers municipalities along the border, including Tornio-Haparanda, Kiruna, Pajala, and Övertorneå in Sweden and Enontekiö, Kolari, Muonio, Pello, Tornio, and Ylitornio in Finland. Authorities state the initiative aims to improve response times and address rising criminal activity in the region. (Eye on the Arctic)

Take 4: This enhanced cooperation aims to address critical security gaps in the Arctic’s remote regions. The vast, sparsely populated northern areas have become increasingly attractive to criminal organizations that exploit limited law enforcement presence and border vulnerabilities. Sweden has already seen a surge in gang-related violence linked to the narcotics trade, raising concerns that criminal networks could expand into Arctic border areas. Illegal activities such as drug smuggling, human trafficking, and weapons trafficking have increased as the Arctic becomes more accessible. Strengthening cross-border policing will help counteract the movement of organized crime into these northern territories, particularly as response times in remote areas can be dramatically reduced when the nearest police station is across the border. However, as law enforcement adapts to these emerging threats, continued cooperation between Arctic nations will be essential to maintaining security in a region that is increasingly attracting both legal and illegal activity. (Arctic Portal, Barents Observer, BBCNews)

Nordic Nations Plan New Framework for High North Cooperation

On February 5, 2025, High North News reported that Norway, Finland, and Sweden are developing a new cooperation framework for their northern regions following Finland’s planned exit from the Barents Euro-Arctic Council in 2025. State secretaries from the three nations have been tasked with designing this structure to enhance defense coordination, transport infrastructure, and civil preparedness across their northern territories. (High North News)

Take 5: The end of Russia-inclusive Arctic cooperation through the Barents Council presents an opportunity for deeper Nordic integration. This restructuring reflects the strategic importance of connecting northern regions previously separated by security restrictions. With Finland and Sweden’s NATO memberships removing barriers to military and infrastructure development, the Nordic nations can build more robust transportation networks, improve civil preparedness, and coordinate defense across their Arctic territories. The new framework’s emphasis on treating the northern regions as an integrated economic space could help address long-standing challenges of sparse populations and limited infrastructure that have historically hindered Arctic development. However, moving away from inclusive regional forums risks Deepening Arctic divisions along military alliance lines at a time when cooperation on sharedchallenges like climate change remains critical. (Arctic Today, High North News)