
Historical shipping activities in the Canadian Arctic were initiated after the arrival of European explorers and whalers. Compared to Inuit’s long-existing occupancy and use of Arctic waters, the history of Arctic shipping is relatively short. Since the 1970s, with the retreating sea ice and opening waters, Arctic shipping has significantly increased. Shipping has not only brought significant economic benefits to the Arctic communities, but has also inevitably caused interruptions with Inuit traditional practices.
To prevent and mitigate shipping risks, Arctic shipping has been highly regulated by international and national maritime laws and industry standards. In Canada, marine traffic is primarily governed under federal jurisdiction, with a certain level of collaboration with provincial and municipal governments and industry partners.
Inuit have been recognized as rights holders in their territories. What does this role mean in Arctic shipping governance?
Unlike other stakeholders, Inuit right to self-government of their territories and internal issues is affirmed in Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. Canada’s commitments to reconciliation and implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) lead to increasing discussion of rethinking Arctic marine shipping governance from a decolonization lens centred on Inuit perspectives and values.
However, Inuit role in shipping governance has yet to be clarified as Inuit rights in managing marine spaces and resources are yet to be widely recognized in comprehensive land claim agreements. Currently, a common practice is to have Inuit meaningfully engaged in Canada’s ongoing Arctic initiatives. Inuit involvement has become an accepted norm in the management of most Arctic affairs that influence Inuit well-being.
Transport Canada and Canadian Coast Guard are leading engagement with Inuit in shipping governance through their initiatives under the Oceans Protection Plan. One example is the proposed Northern Low Impact Shipping Corridors. Consultations with Inuit communities are underway to optimize Corridor locations as the preliminary designed routes are overlapped with socio-culturally sensitive areas that are critical to Inuit subsistence and livelihood.
How would Inuit like to be involved in governing arctic shipping in a meaningful way?
Outcomes from the Arctic Corridors and Northern Voices project can shed some light on answering this question. This project developed a community-based research partnership to allow Inuit share their perspectives on the proposed Corridors through participatory mapping, interviews and focus group discussions.
Overall, Inuit would like to be more engaged in making operational decisions for where, when and how the Corridors near their communities will be used. Inuit would also like to be involved in the governance of the shipping Corridors. They are eager to know how local or Inuit organizations will be allocated with authorities to manage ships traveling through their waters. Furthermore, Inuit would like ship operators to communicate with communities about their schedule, location and route. If possible, ships should ask communities for permits and obtain their free, prior and informed consent before coming to communities. Therefore, communities can better prepare for emergencies and accidents, such as oil spills and search and rescue operations.
What can Canada do to meaningfully engage with Inuit in Arctic shipping governance?
Canada should support Inuit communities to build up capacity for decision-making, such as developing an engagement mechanism that can help Inuit to exercise their decision-making rights. This mechanism or framework should be able to take account Inuit perspectives and values in a holistic and comprehensive way.
The Corridors initiative is the first in its kind to comprehensively govern Arctic marine traffic. Since most of the Corridors are located in Inuit Nunangat (Inuit homeland), there is a possibility for the Corridors to provide a platform that can meaningfully involve Inuit and allow communities to make decisions for ship operations within or close to their waters.
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