Sustainable Tourism in the North: Cruise Ships Taking Land
Recommendations for Protected Areas and National Parks in Iceland and Greenland
Introduction
NatNorth-3 collaborators include representatives from the Iceland Environmental Agency, Greenland National Museum and Archives and the U.S. National Park Service
As Arctic communities enter a post-pandemic environment, there is a steadily increasing demand by the cruise industry to develop new products and attractions in the region that include visitations to remote Protected Areas (PAs) and National Parks (NPs). Protected areas are facing more and more interest from travelers by ship and destinations to remote wilderness and heritage areas are increasingly popular. If not conducted properly, these visits could result in irreversible negative impacts to wildlife, ecosystems and fragile cultural resources. Shifting itineraries and larger visitor volumes will inevitably place new pressures on these areas as they are remote and mostly devoid of protective infrastructure. There is an urgent need to develop and implement more robust and long-term management plans for PAs and NPs that include everything from site-specific visitor guidelines to well-defined trails, signage, and training interpretative guides to help operators and visitors adhere to best practices.
In spring of 2020, the NatNorth-3 sub-committee of the Sustainable Tourism in the North project was formed with representatives from Iceland, Greenland, and the U.S. National Park Service. This working group was charged with the task to identify opportunities for increasing the sustainability of cruise ship landings to NPs and PAs in the region. The recommendations provided are based on the familiarity of management directives in PAs and NPs in concert with knowledge of different regions of the world that face similar challenges. We acknowledge that available resources, environmental and climatic pressures, funding levels, legal frameworks, and local/regional/national support will undoubtedly vary among sites, areas, regions, and countries. Our approach generated ideas based on what is possible to improve in relation to the sustainability of cruise ship landings at PAs and NPs, rather than evaluation of what may be feasible at this time. A link to the full report can be found here .
The goal of NatNorth-3 subcommittee is to make the increasing demand of cruise ships landings in Nature Parks and Protected Areas both manageable and sustainable for the future.
While the NatNorth-3 committee was primarily tasked with recommendations for increasing sustainable practices for cruise ships ‘taking land,’ we also considered impacts from ship and passenger activities occurring on land and sea. We should be thinking in holistic terms when it comes to coastal environments because ‘landings’ include a range of activities in marine, intertidal zones and inland coastal areas that have different sets of vulnerabilities that overlap. For example, point sources of pollution in nearshore environments, such as emissions from ship operations can have dramatic impacts on coastal air quality and visitor experience. Furthermore, off-ship activities can have impacts on resources even if they do not ‘take land’, such as when ship passengers embark on tenders or kayaks to view sensitive wildlife, such as seabird colonies. We chose to consider recommendations that encapsulate sustainable operations both while ships are operating near the PAs and NPs and when passengers participate in off-ship excursions based on our knowledge of activities and industry practices in Greenland and Iceland.
Protected Areas, National Parks and Areas of Concern
Iceland and Greenland possess several areas currently under pressure from cruise ships and their passengers. The maps below highlight the areas of most concern in 2022.
Breiðafjörður
Breiðafjörður. Click to expand.
Protected landscape/seascape since 1995. Breiðafjörður is recognized for its rich marine biodiversity and migratory bird species, covering an area of 2,843 km2 in west Iceland.
Flatey Island
Flatey Island. Click to expand.
Located in Breiðafjörður bay, Flatey Island is one of the many small islands found in the bay, measuring an area of just under 2 km2. Part of the island is protected as a Nature Reserve (1975) while the old village is designated as a special Conservation Area under Iceland‘s Cultural Heritage Act.
Dynjandi
Dynjandi. Click to expand.
Dynjandi and other waterfalls in Dynjandisá and the surrounding area were protected as a natural monument in 1981. The protected zone covers an area of about 7 km2.
Látrabjarg
Látrabjarg. Click to expand.
Protected as a Nature Reserve in 2021, Látrabjarg is the westernmost point of Iceland and one of Europe‘s largest bird cliffs. The Nature Reserve covers an area of 37 km2 on land and sea. It is a breeding ground to several wild migratory bird species including puffin, guillemot, Brünnich‘s guillemot, kittiwake, fulmar and razorbill.
Ströndin við Stapa og Hellna
Ströndin við Stapa og Hellna. Click to expand.
The Stapar and Hellnar coast was protected as a Nature Reserve in 1979. Beautiful and peculiar rock formations are found by the sea in the area, as well as several different bird species. The protected zone covers an area of about 1,3 km2.
Hornstrandir
Hornstrandir. Click to expand.
Added to the list of protected areas in 1975 as a Nature Reserve, the Hornstrandir region is located in the northern part of the Westfjords peninsula. Characterized by its remoteness and lack of modern infrastructure, the area boasts large birdcliffs, unique flora and many cultural remnants. The protected zone covers an area of 589 km2.
Reykjarfjörður nyrðri
Reykjarfjörður nyrðri. Click to expand.
Currently an unprotected fjord in northwest Iceland with a vast coastal landscape. The area provides a spectacular glacial view from the sea and geothermal activity on land.
Vopnafjörður
Vopnafjörður. Click to expand.
Currently not a protected area, Vopnafjörður comprises a large coastal area known for its salmon rivers. Because of its largely pristine and wild nature, it is a place that may see increased visitation by cruise ships in the coming years.
Langanes
Langanes. Click to expand.
Langanes is a large peninsula east of Þistilfjörður and north of Bakkaflói. The area is home to many different bird colonies that include puffin, guillemot, razorbill, fulmar and kittiwake. The area is not protected but is listed as no. 543 on Iceland‘s Nature Conservation Register.
Bakkagerði
Bakkagerði. Click to expand.
Currently unprotected, Bakkagerði is an area of concern for future increased cruise ship traffic.
Jökulsárlón
Jökulsárlón. Click to expand.
Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon is internationally recognized for it‘s unique character and is part of Vatnajökull National Park, inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List in the summer of 2019. The park as a whole covers an area extending over 14.000 km2 and is one of the most diverse volcanic areas on earth.
Papey Island
Papey Island. Click to expand.
An area of concern, Papey Island is currently not protected but is listed as no. 624 on Iceland‘s Nature Conservation Register.
Breiðafjörður
Protected landscape/seascape since 1995. Breiðafjörður is recognized for its rich marine biodiversity and migratory bird species, covering an area of 2,843 km 2 in west Iceland.
Flatey Island
Located in Breiðafjörður bay, Flatey Island is one of the many small islands found in the bay, measuring an area of just under 2 km 2 . Part of the island is protected as a Nature Reserve (1975) while the old village is designated as a special Conservation Area under Iceland‘s Cultural Heritage Act.
Dynjandi
Dynjandi and other waterfalls in Dynjandisá and the surrounding area were protected as a natural monument in 1981. The protected zone covers an area of about 7 km 2 .
Látrabjarg
Protected as a Nature Reserve in 2021, Látrabjarg is the westernmost point of Iceland and one of Europe‘s largest bird cliffs. The Nature Reserve covers an area of 37 km 2 on land and sea. It is a breeding ground to several wild migratory bird species including puffin, guillemot, Brünnich‘s guillemot, kittiwake, fulmar and razorbill.
Ströndin við Stapa og Hellna
The Stapar and Hellnar coast was protected as a Nature Reserve in 1979. Beautiful and peculiar rock formations are found by the sea in the area, as well as several different bird species. The protected zone covers an area of about 1,3 km 2 .
Hornstrandir
Added to the list of protected areas in 1975 as a Nature Reserve, the Hornstrandir region is located in the northern part of the Westfjords peninsula. Characterized by its remoteness and lack of modern infrastructure, the area boasts large birdcliffs, unique flora and many cultural remnants. The protected zone covers an area of 589 km 2 .
Reykjarfjörður nyrðri
Currently an unprotected fjord in northwest Iceland with a vast coastal landscape. The area provides a spectacular glacial view from the sea and geothermal activity on land.
Vopnafjörður
Currently not a protected area, Vopnafjörður comprises a large coastal area known for its salmon rivers. Because of its largely pristine and wild nature, it is a place that may see increased visitation by cruise ships in the coming years.
Langanes
Langanes is a large peninsula east of Þistilfjörður and north of Bakkaflói. The area is home to many different bird colonies that include puffin, guillemot, razorbill, fulmar and kittiwake. The area is not protected but is listed as no. 543 on Iceland‘s Nature Conservation Register.
Bakkagerði
Currently unprotected, Bakkagerði is an area of concern for future increased cruise ship traffic.
Jökulsárlón
Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon is internationally recognized for it‘s unique character and is part of Vatnajökull National Park, inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List in the summer of 2019. The park as a whole covers an area extending over 14.000 km 2 and is one of the most diverse volcanic areas on earth.
Papey Island
An area of concern, Papey Island is currently not protected but is listed as no. 624 on Iceland‘s Nature Conservation Register.
Northeast National Park
Northeast National Park. Click to expand.
Established in 1974 and expanded to its present size in 1988, the Northeast National Park covers an area of 972,000 km2 of the interior and northeastern coast of Greenland. It is the world's largest national park and the 9th largest protected area on the earth.
Ilulissat Icefjord
Ilulissat Icefjord. Click to expand.
Inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2004, covering an area of over 4,000 km2. Ilulissat is a high profile destination for cruise ships travelling to Greenland.
Kujataa
Kujataa . Click to expand.
Kujataa: Norse and Inuit Farming at the Edge of the Ice Cap is a collection of five component areas in South Greenland inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2017.
Aasivissuit - Nipisat
Aasivissuit - Nipisat. Click to expand.
Aasivissuit – Nipisat: Inuit Hunting Ground between Ice and Sea was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2018. Spanning from the coast to the inland ice, the property covers an area of over 4,178 km2.
Qimusseriarsuaq (Melville Bay) Nature Reserve
Qimusseriarsuaq (Melville Bay) Nature Reserve. Click to expand.
Qimusseriarsua was designated a nationally protected Nature Reserve at National level in 1977. It covers an area of 7,958 km2. The bay is home to numerous protected bird and marine mammal species.
Kitsussunnguit – Grønne Ejland
Kitsussunnguit – Grønne Ejland. Click to expand.
Kitsissunnguit (Grønne Ejland) was designated as Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance in 1988. It covers an area of 77.68 km2.
Arctic Station
Arctic Station. Click to expand.
The Arctic Station is located on the south coast of the Disko Island in central West Greenland. The area around the station is protected under the proclamation of 1985; no structures can be built, no turf can be cut and no gravel can be excavated or removed from the area. This Arctic Station and surrounding vicinity are to be used only for research.
Akilia Island
Akilia Island. Click to expand.
Protected area. Akilia Island is in West Greenland, about 22 kilometers south of Nuuk (Godthåb), at 63.933° N 51.667° W. Akilia is the location of a controversial rock outcropping that some geologists believe contains the oldest known sedimentary rocks on Earth, and perhaps the oldest evidence of life on Earth.
Ivittuut and Kangilinnguit
Ivittuut and Kangilinnguit. Click to expand.
Ivittuut and Kangilinnguit are designated with protected status to preserve the area’s natural and heritage values and historic remains. The protection also helps to ensure sustainable utilization of the area and its resources, as well as the protection of the common seal population at nearby Qoornoq.
Uunartoq Island
Uunartoq Island. Click to expand.
Part of Uunartoq Island is designated as a protected area to preserve the island’s unique thermal springs, as well as the island's natural, cultural, and historic values.
Tasermiut Fjord/ Klosterdalen
Tasermiut Fjord/ Klosterdalen. Click to expand.
Tasermiut Fjord is a protected under the National Congress Statute from 1970. All vegetation in the fjord is protected and all wildlife harvesting is prohibited except for the hunting of foxes and grouse at certain times of the year.
Etah
Etah. Click to expand.
Currently an area of concern, Etah is an abandoned settlement in northern Greenland. Frequently referred to as the 'Gateway to Greenland,' it was a starting point of several expeditions to the North Pole and the landing site of the last migration of the Inuit from the Canadian Arctic.
Nuup Kangerlua (Nuuk fjord)
Nuup Kangerlua (Nuuk fjord). Click to expand.
The Nuuk fjord is the longest fjord on the Labrador Sea coast of Greenland and possess a long and rich history. Nuuk is a frequent stop over for cruise ships travelling up and down the West coast fo Greenland.
Tasillaq and East Greenland coast
Tasillaq and East Greenland coast. Click to expand.
The East coast of Greenland stretches several thousand kilometers and has only a few inhabited settlements. Cruise ships arriving from the south and from Iceland frequently call at Tasiilaq and Ittoqqortoormiit before travelling to other destinations along the East coast and the Northeast National Park.
Northeast National Park
Established in 1974 and expanded to its present size in 1988, the Northeast National Park covers an area of 972,000 km 2 of the interior and northeastern coast of Greenland. It is the world's largest national park and the 9th largest protected area on the earth.
Ilulissat Icefjord
Inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2004, covering an area of over 4,000 km 2 . Ilulissat is a high profile destination for cruise ships travelling to Greenland.
Kujataa
Kujataa: Norse and Inuit Farming at the Edge of the Ice Cap is a collection of five component areas in South Greenland inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2017.
Aasivissuit - Nipisat
Aasivissuit – Nipisat: Inuit Hunting Ground between Ice and Sea was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2018. Spanning from the coast to the inland ice, the property covers an area of over 4,178 km 2 .
Qimusseriarsuaq (Melville Bay) Nature Reserve
Qimusseriarsua was designated a nationally protected Nature Reserve at National level in 1977. It covers an area of 7,958 km 2 . The bay is home to numerous protected bird and marine mammal species.
Kitsussunnguit – Grønne Ejland
Kitsissunnguit (Grønne Ejland) was designated as Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance in 1988. It covers an area of 77.68 km 2 .
Arctic Station
The Arctic Station is located on the south coast of the Disko Island in central West Greenland. The area around the station is protected under the proclamation of 1985; no structures can be built, no turf can be cut and no gravel can be excavated or removed from the area. This Arctic Station and surrounding vicinity are to be used only for research.
Akilia Island
Protected area. Akilia Island is in West Greenland, about 22 kilometers south of Nuuk (Godthåb), at 63.933° N 51.667° W. Akilia is the location of a controversial rock outcropping that some geologists believe contains the oldest known sedimentary rocks on Earth, and perhaps the oldest evidence of life on Earth.
Ivittuut and Kangilinnguit
Ivittuut and Kangilinnguit are designated with protected status to preserve the area’s natural and heritage values and historic remains. The protection also helps to ensure sustainable utilization of the area and its resources, as well as the protection of the common seal population at nearby Qoornoq.
Uunartoq Island
Part of Uunartoq Island is designated as a protected area to preserve the island’s unique thermal springs, as well as the island's natural, cultural, and historic values.
Tasermiut Fjord/ Klosterdalen
Tasermiut Fjord is a protected under the National Congress Statute from 1970. All vegetation in the fjord is protected and all wildlife harvesting is prohibited except for the hunting of foxes and grouse at certain times of the year.
Etah
Currently an area of concern, Etah is an abandoned settlement in northern Greenland. Frequently referred to as the 'Gateway to Greenland,' it was a starting point of several expeditions to the North Pole and the landing site of the last migration of the Inuit from the Canadian Arctic.
Nuup Kangerlua (Nuuk fjord)
The Nuuk fjord is the longest fjord on the Labrador Sea coast of Greenland and possess a long and rich history. Nuuk is a frequent stop over for cruise ships travelling up and down the West coast fo Greenland.
Tasillaq and East Greenland coast
The East coast of Greenland stretches several thousand kilometers and has only a few inhabited settlements. Cruise ships arriving from the south and from Iceland frequently call at Tasiilaq and Ittoqqortoormiit before travelling to other destinations along the East coast and the Northeast National Park.
Challenges
Red Alpine Catchfly near the shoreline, north of Ilulissat. Vegetation, wildlife and cultural heritage should be inventoried at vulnerable sites to create baselines to measure against future change.
Before meaningful advances can be made to ensure ship landings at sensitive coastal sites are sustainable, three barriers must be addressed: 1. Conduct natural and cultural resource inventories and describe baseline conditions. NPs and PAs have sensitive environments and resources and often locally, nationally, and/or internationally (e.g., UNESCO World Heritage) recognized values. Understanding, recording, and identifying vulnerabilities of these values is fundamental to the sustainable use of these areas by all types of privately owned, commercial and expedition cruise ships, whose operations can adversely affect those values. However, for many of these areas baseline data are completely absent making it difficult for managers to perceive and track changes to the local environments, ecosystems and cultural resources over time. In addition to the lack of inventories, programs focused on status monitoring, or a statistically robust process for measuring the state of the resource or value through time, are largely lacking, further inhibiting managers to understand trends. 2. Strengthen legal frameworks and improve blind spots. Currently, there is no overarching legal framework that applies specifically to ship landings in Iceland or Greenland. Many ship companies are part of AECO ( Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators ) and obliged to follow the standards developed by the association but all other private, commercial and non-AECO member cruise ships and passengers are only obliged to obey current national legislations and international conventions within a respective territory. Within this framework, monitoring, oversight and enforcement are extremely challenging and frequently non-existent. A lack of compliance monitoring, or oversight to ensure any regulations or guidelines are followed, reduces incentives for operators to follow the rules and inhibits managers from knowing whether voluntary measures or regulations are effective at minimizing impacts. 3. Increased focus on accountability. Monitoring ship and passenger activities, policing and enforcement of laws designed to protect both the environment and cultural heritage are difficult to enforce and even more difficult to prosecute when in violation. Sadly, reported abuses and willful disregard for laws are often reported well-after the occurrence making prosecution time-consuming, costly and legally difficult when transnational actors are involved.
The boardwalk leading to the protected heritage site of Sermermiut, Ilulissat, West Greenland.
10-Points for Action
To help address these challenges in Iceland and Greenland, we offer the following 10-points for action. These initial interventions could drastically help to protect and mitigate the potential negative effects of cruise ship tourism at PAs and NPs in the North while increasing the value of the visitor experience. Many of the points are in alignment and inspired by the standards and policies set forth by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) and the Arctic Council's Protection of the Marine Environment working group (PAME). More detailed information and justification for these points can be found in the full report.
1. Establish a universal set of guidelines for cruise tourism in the North.
Develop and promote universal guidelines to inform visitor behavior to remote and protected areas in the North. These principles would ensure the protection of seabird colonies, sensitive coastal resources, marine mammal haul outs, and cultural sites at vulnerable coastal NPs and PAs. These guidelines would also help reduce confusion for operators sailing between Iceland and Greenland.
2. Site-specific interventions.
Developing ‘site-specific’ approaches to assessing the vulnerability of wildlife, vegetation and cultural resources, that include long-term monitoring and promotion of best-practices, both on an off-shore.
3. Baseline surveys.
Creating baseline data sets for key resources in PAs and NPs can include studies and observations on local wildlife species, visible pollutants, erosion, and possible risks and hazards to cultural heriatge. This baseline data should be used to evaluate changes to PAs and NPs over time.
4. Real-time Ship traffic.
Create an interactive map tracking ship traffic that includes information on routes, site visits, and onshore activities at NPs and PAs.
5. Emissions inventories.
Generating an activity-based emissions inventory for ships visiting PAs and NPs in Iceland and Greenland. Such an assessment will help quantify point source pollutant levels and identify ships that minimize impacts to air and water quality while facilitating onshore landings in PAs and NPs.
6. Wastewater.
Cruise ships should be encouraged to catalog wastewater procedures and holding capacity to identify opportunities for sustainable operation while traveling in Iceland and Greenland waters.
7. Best Management Practices Plans (BMPPs) for cruise ships.
Operators should be encouraged to create a Best Management Practice Plan (BMPP) for wastewater disposal agreed upon by protected area managers, industry, and local authorities.
8. Drones.
Development of an ad hoc committee to document the negative effects of drones on local wildlife and explore new guidelines for the use of drones at NPs and PAs in Iceland and Greenland.
9. Interpretive Guides.
Development of a comprehensive and specialized Interpretive Guide or Ranger program qualified to lead group tours on land at PAs and NPs.
10. Concessions and quotas.
Initiate further transnational dialogues on the value of concessions and quotas for ships entering and operating in NPs and PAs in Greenland and Iceland.
Visitors kayaking in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska
What's Next?
Cruise tourism represents an important means by which visitors can access and enjoy NPs and PA’s in Greenland and Iceland. With advanced ship technology and carefully considered practices and operations, cruise tourism can not only work to minimize impacts but actually benefit sites by generating revenue for local communities and educating passengers on the significance of the history and cultural / natural resources present at these sites. The NatNorth-3 subcommittee seeks to build upon successful programs and initiatives implemented in other protected areas to communicate ‘what’s possible’ and facilitate implementation by clarifying the successes (and failures) experienced by other sites faced with similar issues. To that end, the NatNorth-3 subcommittee is planning to organize an informational meeting in September of 2022 with the objective of providing government agencies, NGOs, industry, and other stakeholders an opportunity to learn about successful programs upon which many of these recommendations were founded. The meeting will further provide an opportunity to chart a path forward to implement pilot projects, and provide a venue for networking among stakeholders from Iceland, Greenland, and the U.S.
The cruise ship Rotterdam anchoring outside Nanortalik in South Greenland.
