AVS. Arkitektúr verktækni skipulag - 01.06.2003, Blaðsíða 49

Dr. Thor Jakobsson. Sea lce Research Unit, lcelandic Meteorological Office.
The Northern Sea
Route - Interest in
lceland
The name ‘lceland’ stems from
the surprising sight of sea ice
during one of the first
Scandinavian exploration voyages
to this newly-found country in
the 9th century, A.D. Sea ice
around lceland originates mainly
from the East Greenland current
and has been erratic through the
ages. It has quite often caused
trouble of different kinds, from
shipping hazards along the
lcelandic coasts and sometimes
closed harbours in the north.
Despite this hazard, lcelanders
have learned how to avoid the
sea ice, or, if needed, traverse
carefully along the marginal sea
ice zone. In recent decades, they
have ventured further North into
subarctic conditions for fishing
and transport activities. It is
therefore no wonder that the idea
of looking for possibilities still fur-
ther north, even across the Arctic
Ocean, is gradually catching on in
lceland.
The suggestion of considering the
possible role of lceland in con-
nection with the so-called
Northern Sea Route is no longer
a futuristic idea and has in recent
months been investigated again
from a practical point of view.
The idea, however, still needs a
thorough study where links to
recent projects on the Northern
Sea Route itself, along the coasts
of Russia, have to be considered.
The International Sea Route
Programme (Phase I 1993-1995
and Phase II 1995-1999) resulted
in a great number of papers on
different aspects of the idea of
future route across the Arctic
Ocean.
On October 8, 1987, a confer-
ence was held in lceland on the
Northern Sea route and the pos-
sibility of lcelandic harbours being
linked to the route. In particular,
the idea of lceland providing a
location for an entrepöt at
the North Atlantic end of the
Northern Sea Route was dis-
cussed. With the participation of
the American Embassy, as well
as the rather hesitant Soviet
Embassy in lceland, the timing of
the meeting turned out to be for-
tunate. News was received just
before the meeting of an encour-
aging speech given on October
1, 1987, in Murmansk by then-
Soviet President Mikhail
Gorbachev on Arctic matters. In
his speech, Mr. Gorbachev
announced the possibility of
opening the Northern Sea route
to foreign ships.
During the more than 15 years
since this meeting, the idea has
been kept alive by architect/plan-
ner Gestur Ólafsson, Ambassador
Ólafur Egilsson, and the writer of
this brief account. The possible
role of lceland has been empha-
sized, with its advantageous loca-
tion in the middle of the northern
part of the North Atlantic Ocean,
in providing a gateway to the
Arctic Ocean. The necessity of
economic and technical feasibility
studies has been pointed at as
well as the consideration of natu-
ral circumstances in relation to
this opportunity, in particular,
concerning weather, sea ice and
oceanographic conditions along
the sea route.
Lately, encouraging interest in
this topic has been created, not
least due to the support given by
Björn Gunnarsson at the
University of lceland.
During this period of interest,
some progress has been made,
marked by meetings at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a
report by Nigel Chattey, contain-
ing a pre-feasibility assessment
and a proposal for demonstration
project including suggestions for
possible participation of the
United States and Canada.
It should further be mentioned
that a study is being undertaken
on the idea of establishing an
entrepot harbour at ísafjördur in
North West lceland. Previously,
the harbours at Reykjavik and
Reydarfjordur in East lceland had
been suggested.
The main conclusion of the
research made during the
International Northern Sea Route
Programme is that in spite of cli-
matic, technological and political
restraints, an increase in interna-
tional commercial shipping along
the Nortern Sea Route is feasible
- in economic, technological and
environmental terms.
Decreasing ice cover in the Arctic
Ocean during the last decades
should support the idea of
lceland becoming an important
entrepöt for the Northern Sea
Route, the shortest shipping
route between the two world
oceans, the Atlantic Ocean and
the Pacific Ocean. ■
47