Newsletter: Security, the Climate Crisis, and Industry in the North

I am putting the debates in the South behind me, and I am back in the North, where fall has made its entrance with dark nights and yellow leaves. For many, fall is a time for change and reflection. 

Yet, the High North does not rest, and the past week was diverse. 

Let us start with a topic that many consider controversial: whaling. 

Only three countries engage in commercial whaling, and researchers now call for the dismantling of the International Whaling Commission as it has outlived its usefulness.

There is also uncertainty linked to climate change in the Arctic, and new research shows that the Arctic Ocean will drastically change in the following decades and be unrecognizable by 2100. 

Industrial news 

In his commentary, Arne O. Holm gazes towards the Norwegian aquaculture industry as they are announcing a new area of investment. That could turn out to be a very challenging shift, Holm writes.

The debate about seabed mining is also proving challenging. Several debates during the Arendal Week revolved around seabed minerals and posed the question: To extract or preserve? To wait or not? What is certain is that deep-sea mining in the Norwegian Sea is becoming the decade's most disputed matter. 

A new investment has been announced in Kirkenes, Northern Norway: 

"It is incredibly fun that it is possible to create engines for growth in Kirkenes that are attractive elsewhere in Europe," says the owner and founder of the tech company Barel, which has been sold to a Swedish investment company. (Norwegian only)

Politics 

Strengthening Russia's military capacities and increasing the Northern Fleet's combat readiness are prioritized tasks to secure Russian interests in the Arctic, said Putin's adviser while traveling in Murmansk. 

Putin has established a maritime collegium to secure the country's interests in the Arctic, with his close adviser as its leader.

The threat from Russia and opportunities for more cooperation in the Arctic and the North Atlantic were the topics as the US Secretary of the Navy recently met with Denmark's MoD and military leaders in Copenhagen. 

There are also discussions about the economic sanctions against Russia and whether they are good enough. 

During the Arendal Week, I met Aage Borchgrevink from the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, who believes the EU's sanctions package against Russia has become so extensive that it is nearly impossible not to violate them. 

Follow us for more news on security policy, research, and, not least, Arne O. Holm's apt Friday commentary. 

Best, Editor-in-Chief Trine Jonassen