Atuagagdliutit - 16.12.1993, Blaðsíða 8

8
ICC
DECEMBER 1993
New structure for ISI
In August of 1993, Indige-
nous Survival International
(ISI) held its General As-
sembly in Sisimiut, Green-
land. Indigenous represen-
tatives from Alaska, Canada
and Greenland were present
together with representati-
ves from international orga-
nizations, such as the World
Conservation Union
(IUCN) and the Internatio-
nal Work Group for Indige-
nous Affairs (IWGIA).
At this meeting, the struc-
ture, goals, and function of
ISI were under intensive
discussion. A discussion
which resulted in a decision
to restructure the organiza-
tion, to better fulfil the ISI
objectives.
The ISI council is now
made up by two representa-
tives from Alaska, Canada
and Greenland, respective-
ly, with additionally two se-
ats set aside for internatio-
nal indigenous organiza-
tions with non-governmen-
tal status (NGO’s). In addi-
tion, the new structure also
provides for an elected lea-
dership - a President and a
Vice- President - to run the
organization on a daily ba-
sis.
Phil Frazer and Lilian
Sandersen, both of Canada,
were elected President and
Vice-president. The council
members from Alaska and
Canada are still to be elec-
ted, while Amalie Jessen of
the Greenland Home Rule
Department of Fisheries,
Hunting and Agriculture
and Hansi Kreutzmann of
the Organization of Hunters
and Fishermen in Green-
land (KNAPK) continue as
council members.
The ICC council decided
at its Nuuk-meeting in Sep-
tember to apply for one of
the NGO seats available. It
is further hoped that the
Inuit Tapirisat of Canada
(ITC) wiU apply one of the
Canadian seats to council.
During the meeting in Si-
simiut it was decided that
the council will meet annu-
ally, while the general as-
sembly will meet eveiy three
years.
Animal protectionists and
environmentalists are orga-
nized in numerous national
and international organiza-
tions. It is extremely im-
portant that platforms and
alleys are created and used
to promote the interests of
indigenous peoples of the
North. Therefore we welco-
me the revival of the ISI,
and wish it success in its fu-
ture work.
ISI’s purpose is to ensure
the conservation of renewa-
ble resources throughout
the lands and seas where in-
digenous peoples reside, as
well as to enhance the op-
portunities to develop pro-
ducts from these resources.
In this connection an all- im-
portant task is to uphold the
integrity of the indigenous
cultures.
An important emphasis
within the ISI is to expand
the Indigenous membership
to the organization.
ties and perspectives in stra-
tegies for sustainability, and
make policy recommenda-
tions concerning IUCN’s ro-
le in implementing these
strategies. The resolution
further called upon IUCN to
make every effort to raise
and allocate funds to facili-
tate the development of en-
vironmental strategies and
policies for indigenous com-
munities. The objectives of
the Task Force will include
the formulation of guideli-
nes on how to integrate indi-
genous peoples into strategi-
es for sustainability.
Next Step
The first meeting of the
Task Force was held in
March of this year. At this
meeting, the preparations
for the next IUCN General
Assembly in Buenos Aires
were made. The objectives of
the general assembly inclu-
de:- To raise awareness of
the importance of indige-
nous communities in the su-
stainable management of
natural resources; to conso-
lidate and strengthen
IUCN’s indigenous net-
work; and to deflne ele-
ments of follow-up activiti-
es. During the general as-
sembly, several workshops
will be established, inclu-
ding workshops on indige-
nous peoples issues. Input
from the workshop on indi-
genous issues will include:
- recommendations of an in-
creased integration of indi-
genous perspectives into
IUCN programmes and im-
plementation;
- the guidelines for the inte-
gration of indigenous peo-
ples in strategies for sustai-
nability;
- the published set of case-
studies from different mee-
tings, which will include is-
sues raised within the case
studies; and
- a discussion paper on the
IUCN’s role in implemen-
ting strategies concerning
indigenous peoples, based
on comments and observa-
tions on the case studies re-
ceived from Commissions
and other interested parties.
Inuit Circumpolar Confe-
rence will be represented at
the general assembly of the
IUCN by, President Caleb
Pungowiyi, Alaska, Vice-
President Ingmar Egede,
Greenland, and Council
Member Les Carpenter, Ca-
nada.
IUCN and the indigenous peoples
The World Conservation
Union (IUCN) in coopera-
tion of Indigenous Survival
International (ISI) has esta-
blished a task force on Indi-
genous Peoples and the su-
stainable use of natural re-
sources. It is a growing reali-
zation of the faet that many
protected areas and areas of
importance for biodiversity
are managed by indigenous
communities which has led
to the establishment of such
task force to specifically fo-
cus on indigenous peoples.
Indigenous peoples are de-
pendent on these areas for
their livelihood, and are ma-
king an important contribu-
tion to the development and
implementation of sustaina-
ble resource management
systems. The indigenous pe-
oples concerns are inerea-
singly recognized within
IUCN programmes, and the
participation of indigenous
communities in the manage-
ment oflocal resources is be-
coming a major issue, when
strategies for sustainability
are being developed.
Areas of Responsibility
In 1990, the IUCN General
Assembly requested that its
doeuments include specific
recognition of the role of in-
digenous communities in
the management of their en-
vironmental resources, and
in the development of Natio-
nal Conservation Strategies
and projects. It was also re-
quested that IUCN esta-
blish an Inter-Commission
Task Force to deal with issu-
es especially relevant to in-
digenous peoples to make
sure that indigenous con-
cerns are incorporated in
the overall work of IUCN
and its Commissions. The
Task Force will also focus on
the need and means to inte-
grate indigenous communi-
The 11th meeting of IUCN polar bear specialist group
The World Conservation
Union’s International Polar
Bear Specialist Group
(PBSG) met in Co penhagen
in January 1993. The group
consists of scientists from
Canada, Denmark, Norway,
Russia and the USA
To this year’s meeting
three active polar bear hun-
ters from Alaska, Canada
and Greenland were invited
to add a new dimension to
the meeting. The PBSG
members were pleased with
the participation and input
from the hunters and re-
commended, through a reso-
lution, the new Chairman,
Øistein Wiik from Norway
to invite polar bear hunters
to the next meeting.
ICC observer at the
PBSG - meeting
Vice-President oF ICC in
Greenland, Ingmar Egede
participated as an observer
at the meeting and gave a
presentation of ICC’s policy
on environmental and su-
stainable use of wildlife and
further addressed the follo-
wing issues:
Ingmar Egede commen-
ced his presentation by quo-
ting the following statement
made by Ludmilla Ainana’s
(Executive Council Member
from Chukotka) at the ICC
General Assembly in 1992:
»..It is prohibited to har-
vest polar bear in Chukotka.
You see, native people fqd on
polar bear meat since time
immemorial. Some rites (ri-
tuals) and family celebra-
tions are based on polar bear
harvesting. It was a compo-
nent of our culture. The po-
pulation of polar bear inere-
ase now from year to year.
Polar bears become a nui-
sance in the remote Coastal
villages. That is why my pe-
ople must be allowed to har-
vest polar bear.«
Remarks on
Avanersuarmiut
Ingmar Egede continued by
making the following re-
marks on the situation in
the Thule area, also acknow-
ledging that the polar bear
hunt in Avanersuaq would
be further addressed by the
hunter from Avanersuaq
present at the meeting.
Explaining the importan-
ce of polar bear pants, and
that they are not only pre-
ferred as clothing by hun-
ters, but also as a means for
other people to cope with the
severe climate in a decent
way.
Ingmar Egede continued
by stressing the cultural
aspect of the polar bear
hunt. For centuries the po-
lar bear hunt has been the
proof of the individual hun-
ter’s ability and skiils. Any
able bodied man are normal-
ly able to hunt seals, walru-
ses, belugas, and other sea
mammals to feed his family
and his dogs. But it takes a
skilied person to collect
enough food for his family,
and to prepare his equip-
ment and dogs for a four to
six weeks polar bear hunt in
the Melville Bay or Kane Ba-
sin. Such polar bear hunt is
looked upon as a very presti-
gious event in one’s life, and
as one of the peak moments
in a hunters life - a proof of
man-hood.
Avanersuarmiut have for
centuries and up until about
40 years ago been the only
people to use the Ellesmere
Island for subsistence hun-
ting. During the last 40 ye-
ars, three factors have liini-
ted the opportunities for
Avanersuarmiut to main-
tain a traditional livelihood:
1. The enforcement of an
international boundary
between Canada and
Greenland.
2. The establishment of
Thule Air Base and
3. The forced relocation of
people from Uumman-
naq to Qaanaaq, resul-
ting from the establish-
ment of the US military
base.
The meeting in brief
Ingmar Egede additionally
reports from the meeting,
that the Polar Bear Specia-
list Group reviewed the pro-
gress on research and mana-
gement of polar bears since
its last meeting in Socchi,
USSR, 1988.
The scientist reports reve-
aled that extensive use of sa-
tellite tracking of female po-
lar bears has made it possi-
ble to determine the boun-
daries of several relatively
discrete subpopulation So-
me of these are shared by
different countries and the-
refore require international
cooperation to manage. Po-
pulations are shared betwe-
en Russia and Alaska; Cana-
da and Greenland; and Nor-
way and Russia.
The experts of the PBSC
stressed the importance of
determining the distribu-
tion of each of the approxi-
mately 15 subpopulation -
some of which have yet to be
determined - particularly
those belonging to the vast
unstudied areas of the Rus-
sian Arctic.
Population estimates
ana harvest levels
The size of the subpopula-
tion were assessed on the
basis of available data. The
level of knowledge of the dif-
ferent subpopulation ranges
from good to almost not-
hing. In total, the world po-
pulation of polar bears is as-
sumed to be between 21,000
and 28,000. They are distri-
buted in geographical di-
stinet subpopulation and
must therefore be managed
individually.
It was recognized that po-
lar bear hunting is an im-
portant part of the culture
and economy of indigenous
peoples throughout the Arc-
tic. However, because of the
low reproductive rate of the
polar bears, the harvest le-
vel must be low. To be su-
stainable the harvest should
not exceed 1.5 % of the adult
and subadult females in a
population.
The Canadian and the ea-
stern Alaska polar bear po-
pulations are relatively well
described. Alaska, Canada
and Chukotka additionally
share a population of polar
bears which has yet to be de-
scribed. The shared popula-
tion between Canada and
Greenland in the Lancaster
Sound and Baffin Bay area
is estimated to be approxi-
mately 2,470 animals.
The number of polar be-
ars in East Greenland is not
precisely known, but esti-
mated to about 2,000 to
4,000 animals. Where it was
earlier assumed that polar
bears migrate between Sval-
bard and East Greenland,
new research indicate that
this is not the case.
Toxic Chemicals and
other environmental
aspects
In terms of Chemical conta-
minants found in polar be-
ars, data was presented
which surprisingly showed a
higher concentration of
PCB’s in the Svalbard sub-
population. Fat tissues have
been collected from a wide
range of other locations
throughout the Arctic for
toxic Chemical analysis, but
the results are not yet avai-
lable.
Serious concerns about
the possible detrimental ef-
feets on the arctic marine
ecosystem of nuclear waste
dumping in the vicinity of
Novaya Zemblya was ex-
pressed with respect to the
status of polar bears in the
Russian Arctic. And it was
considered critical to conti-
nue to monitor polar bears
to determine possible effeets
of man-made substances
and human activities.
The issue of global war-
ming was additionally dis-
cussed as the latest simula-
ting models indicates that
the first and most signifi-
cant effeets will be seen at
high northern latitudes. Re-
ductions in the extent of sea
ice will seriously decrease
the polar bear habitats and,
thus, have catastrophic ef-
feet on the populations. Po-
lar bears are at the top of the
arctic food chain an would
therefore be an ideal species
to monitor with respect to
the effeets of global war-
ning.