Why are so many Northern lights hunters are looking for the risk

fancy Arctic Surfing? Surfing under the Northern lights, Surfing with killer whales, Surfing in the "most northerly surf school in the world" (on the Lofoten Islands). Or rather Arctic-sailing, "Sail and Ski", perhaps? In the morning on the catamaran through the icy waters, sailing in the afternoon on the island of Spitsbergen a ski slope down wagging, and never a person has entered. Or coming soon with a "luxury polar icebreaker" – Spa, heated pool, French cuisine, Butler service on the outside – on the "never-before-explored polar regions"? Directly to the geographic North pole, as it promises to be the event organizer for the year 2021 – and then, when the boat Le Commandant Charcot runs from the deck?

climate change – this is where he has his laboratory: The Arctic is melting, the temperatures are rising two to three times as fast as in the Rest of the world. And the melting ice reveals something, what is it that drives the people high up in the North. It's Arctic cod are now swarms, it curls once inaccessible oil Fields. It is perhaps the most exciting resource of all: the great Unknown beckons.

The Arctic tourism is just the thing for all of you that have already done everything else. The number of tourists explodes, in the Norwegian city of Tromsø at 69. Latitude you count during polar winter, in the meantime, from 2000 to 3000 a day. But the Northern lights hunters yet much more in the direction of the North pole. The island group of Svalbard, in Svalbard, is the last Outpost of civilization in the polar sea, where the number of tourists has doubled within a decade, to just under 150 000 almost. Also, there is something In the September Svalbard now has its own Oktoberfest, in the first week of February, lure you with "Arctic-Jazz". And all of a sudden only the passenger ships of the Hurtigruten sailing up here, which can accommodate a few Hundred guests. It is also Great to go up to Svalbard: the cruise giants that have up to 7000 people on Board the car since the latest.

Major headache

"today We have seven times as many tourists in the area for which we are responsible, as in 2011," says Bent-Ove Jamtli in the city of Bodø. Jamtli, a former officer of the Norwegian air force, is the Director of the Bodø-based Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) for the High North. The centre coordinates the Savior for all the accidents, accidents and disasters on Land and on the ocean from here to the North pole. A awe-inspiring task, from year to year more difficult. The Trend – more tourists, more fishermen, more rashness, and all of the above in the North – preparing Bent-Ove Jamtli and his people a big headache. "We will have more accidents," he says. "And there will be more Deaths."

It is as if the people vergässen that you up there still in one of the most remote, hostile and dangerous areas of the world are on the move. The weather is extreme and changes often as quick as a flash. Darkness, ice, snow, and vast distances make rescue operations extremely difficult. Mobile phones, but also the conventional on Board a ship installed rescue systems no longer work in the regions of the far North because of the lack of satellite coverage. To a ship of the Norwegian coast, the island group guard reached Spitsbergen, it can take 24 hours. Several sailors, who were caught last year off the coast of Svalbard in distress, could still be saved. "We have evacuated eight people," says Jamtli. "The boat was lost."

fear of oil spills

Perhaps even more luck, the crew of the fishing boat North guider, the on 28. December radioed to 1.22 PM. With her Boot she had ventured far to the North, in the beach road between Spitsbergen and North-East of the country, and was run aground. The helicopter of the Governor of Svalbard attempted the rescue in total darkness in minus 23 degrees, strong winds and snowfall. "The last man we picked up from the Board, two minutes before the ship went under," says Birger Inge brig, Chief of Operations at the coast guard.

Arctic tourism is just the thing for all of you that have already done everything else.

just As tricky: the recovery of the 330 tons of diesel oil, the damaged boat on Board, had, in the middle of a yet untouched area where the seals have their pups on the ice throw, and in the spring many birds return. The salvage teams, the feat was achieved in January "in one of the most complex salvage operations that were previously carried out in the North", as the "High North News" wrote. That's the other big fear is the Arctic-observer: an oil Spill.

Since 2016, the Norwegian platform Goliath Oil promotes Hammerfest, 85 kilometres North-West of the city – it is the northernmost oil platform in the earth. "A Tanker per week departs from there," says JRCC Director, Jamtli. But it doesn't need oil Tanker for a major oil Spill: The largest cruise ships have several million litres of Oil on Board.

"extinction tourism"

"We have an oil Spill could eliminate even when the ice comes. And when the Oil is once in the ice, then it stays there forever," says a canadian Arctic researcher Michael Byers of the University of British Columbia. "And now, the giants of the cruise companies have discovered, such as Crystal or Costa the Arctic. This makes us very scared." The World Wildlife Fund says in a report from the last year of the "extinction tourism" that would operate in the Arctic Crusader: "The people rush there to admire the vanishing Ecosystems, and accelerate your destruction."

Bent-Ove Jamtli from the JRCC in Norway, understands the fascination of the people for the Arctic, which will no longer be admired in their present wildness and beauty for so long. "If you were to ask me if I would like to travel on such a cross? I would probably say Yes." At the same time the risk are the shipping companies and their guests, willing to take amazed him. "If a fire should break out on one of the ships with 6000 passengers, that would be a disaster."

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 11.03.2019, 17:36 PM