Tourism Vessels and Low Impact Shipping Corridors in Arctic Canada: Trends, Risks, Community Perspectives and Management Strategies ...

• Main Authors: Dawson, Jackie, Carter, Natalie Ann, Van Luijk, Nicolien, Cook, Alison, Weber, Melissa, Orawiec, Andrew, Stewart, Emma, Holloway, Jean
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: My University 2021
• Subjects: Marine tourism; Passenger vessels; Arctic Canada; Inuit communities; Culturally Significant Marine Areas; Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas; Arctic; Canada; inuit
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-26678; https://ruor.uottawa.ca/handle/10393/42458

Marine tourism in the Canadian Arctic is a small but rapidly growing industry. Since 1990, the average annual distance travelled by passenger vessels (e.g., cruise ships) has more than doubled, and for pleasure crafts (e.g., commercial or private yachts) the average annual distance travelled has increased by nearly 4000%. This growth is tremendous, yet, at the same time, pleasure craft vessels are also some of the least regulated vessels in the Canadian Arctic (Johnston et al., 2017a). The Federal Government of Canada has responded to the overall need for additional regulatory frameworks for all vessels in the Canadian Arctic. The government is in the process of developing what is now known as the Low Impact Shipping Corridors (LISC). The LISC are described as shipping routes throughout the Canadian Arctic that are intended to provide “infrastructure, navigational support and emergency response services needed for safer marine navigation, while respecting the environment and local ecology and cultures” ...