Planning for the long haul in Arctic development

EDWARD S. ITTA

May 02, 2008 at 1:04PM AKST

For The Arctic Sounder

The annual Open Water Meetings are a chance for Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission whalers, agency officials, North Slope Borough scientists and industry experts to compare research data and review plans for the upcoming season’s offshore oil and gas activity.

It is required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act to insure industry communication with the whalers before the open-water season gets under way.

This gathering used to involve just a few people around a table, but this year’s meeting was held at the Egan Center in Anchorage with 140 people attending.

I participated in this year’s meeting, and I want to share with you some of the comments I made at the close of this three-day session.

I told the industry that our people approach the protection of our marine resources in the same way that we approach the use of these resources – based on the best available traditional knowledge and the best possible science.

We believe in the same precautions for hunting and for resource protection. If we believe there’s too much risk due to weather or ice or other conditions, we don’t go out hunting.

And if we believe there’s too much risk of impacts to our marine mammals or their habitat, we can’t support offshore development. It’s that simple.

We are not opponents of the oil and gas industry. We support development wherever it is safe and sensible – places like Arctic National Wildlife Refuge come to mind.

We understand the need for oil and gas, and we depend on the benefits it brings. But we’ve got a lot on the line, and it’s worth more to us than any amount of money.

Our culture – the very deepest part of our being – rises or falls with the fate of the whales and seals and other species in Arctic waters.

Our bottom line is fundamentally different from that of the companies doing business offshore. Our bottom line is the answer to this question: Do our grandchildren deserve a chance to take part in the whaling and hunting activities at the core of our culture?

The ancient values that define us as a people are transmitted through participation in those traditional whaling and hunting activities.

If we lose the hunt, we lose our identity. It’s that simple '85 and it’s that serious for us.

So if companies want to work in the Arctic, gatherings like this one are a very good place to start.

Collaboration on scientific research is critical. Incorporating traditional knowledge is critical.

An honest process that respects the value we bring to the table is going to make everyone’s life easier and it’s going to yield better results.

Willie Goodwin from Kotzebue made an important point.

"If you plan to work in our region, please show up long before any work gets under way. If you want your project to go smoothly, it just makes sense to include us in the planning.

"We can help to steer you away from some of the pitfalls, based on our past experience and our cultural bottom line.

"We sure don’t have all the answers, but our input is a very important piece of the puzzle. We would much rather work with you than against you – that’s the kind of people we are. We’re no different from anyone else. And if we feel like our back is against the wall, we’ll respond like anyone else would," he said.

I don’t think our requests are unreasonable; they’re prudent. And that’s something industry should welcome.

The Arctic is no place for bold risks. It’s a place for careful operation and high standards of protection. That’s what these meetings are all about – working toward the best possible understanding of potential impacts and developing plans to avoid or mitigate those impacts.

Successful companies are big on advance planning, because it leads to more efficient projects and better operations and bigger profits in the long run.

And that’s one thing we do insist on – if you want to work in the Arctic, we expect that you’re making a commitment for the long haul.

We want to know you’ll be there next year and 10 years from now, right up until the project has reached its end.

People who are in it for the long haul care a lot more about the neighborhood, and that’s the kind of neighbors we like to see.

Edwards S. Itta is the mayor of the North Slope Borough and a whaling captain in Barrow.