3 February 2010 - A
large number of Pink-footed geese, about
5,000, make use of the Gurreholm area. That
corresponds to one fifth of the total population
of Jameson Land.
Photo: Alyn Walsh
By Steen Voigt and Jens C. Pedersen
Planned mining activities
in the north western part of Jameson Land
in East Greenland are expected to disturb
a large number of moulting and breeding
waterbirds in part of the Ramsar site “Heden”.
The National Environmental Research Institute
(NERI), Aarhus University, has censused
the number of birds in the affected area
and in the nearby valley Ørsted Dal.
The valley is suggested as a potential new
protected area for birds and will - if it
is included - extend the entire Ramsar site
considerably. It is, however, difficult
to judge whether the replacement area will
compensate sufficiently for the birds that
will have to leave “Heden”.
The Canada-based mining
company Quadra Mining Ltd. plans to start
exploitation of a molybdenum ore in the
Malmbjerget area north of Jameson Land.
The ore is estimated to be mined for the
next 20-25 years. The company’s plans include
constructions of infrastructure, including
a harbour with a large container terminal
near the site Gurreholm inside the Ramsar
site “Heden”, a 75 km long road leading
north from the harbour to a production camp
about 10 km south of the ore deposit, and
a sliproad leading to an approximately 2
km long airstrip for medium-sized jet planes
and Hercules transport planes situated about
1.5 km from the coast north of the harbour.
The Ramsar site was primarily
designated because of the internationally
important populations of moulting Pink-footed
geese and Barnacle geese, and also a number
of breeding birds.
Map showing the areas
of Jameson Land.
An area rich in bird
species
The results of NERI’s studies requested
and financed by the Bureau of Minerals and
Petroleum of the Greenland Self-Government
show that Gurreholm is an area very rich
in birds with large populations of moulting
and breeding Pink-footed geese and some
other breeding bird species. The area comprises
the relatively rare breeding birds Sabine’s
gull and Whimbrel, classified as “near-threatened”
according to the Greenland Red-list.
The planned construction
works mean that parts of the Ramsar site
will be lost and that in some areas, at
least temporarily, some animals, and especially
moulting geese, will be disturbed.
If “urgent national
interests” are going to result in a reduction
or alteration of a Ramsar site the Ramsar
Convention Secretariat must be informed
about measures and plans for possible alternatives
and replacement areas. Naalakkersuisut,
the Greenland Self-Government, is currently
negotiating with the secretariat and has
informed that the mining project is of “urgent
national interest”, and that the project
will proceed provided that the impacts of
the mining activities are monitored and
that an appropriate replacement site is
designated before mining begins. The Ramsar
Secretariat has accepted these terms.
Three disturbance scenarios
NERI’s scientists have
assessed the effects of the construction
work on the birds in relation to three so-called
disturbance scenarios with distance zones
of 1.5, 5 and 10 km from the construction
activities. Based on the results, their
recommendation is to include the Ørsted
Dal area north of “Heden” under the protection
of the Ramsar Convention of waterbirds in
replacement of the expected loss of large
areas of the Gurreholm area.
Senior scientist Christian
Glahder, NERI, says that it is difficult
to assess currently whether the replacement
area will be able to fully compensate for
the anticipated loss of protected area for
the birds at Gurreholm. But it appears that
the replacement area will be able to hold
fewer Pink-footed geese than the Gurreholm
area.
“We have therefore suggested
annual monitoring of the birds at Gurreholm.
If the replacement area Ørsted Dal
cannot compensate sufficiently for the loss
of moulting and breeding geese and other
breeding birds in the area, we recommend
the designation of yet another replacement
area on the East Greenland coast which we
will investigate further this year” says
Christian Glahder.
An extension of the
Ramsar area with the Ørsted Dal area
will under all circumstances not only result
in a significant expansion of the total
protected area, but will also protect a
larger number of the population of Barnacle
geese in East Greenland.
“With the replacement
area holding 4,700 moulting Barnacle geese,
an additional 7% of the population will
be protected under the Ramsar Convention.
This is of importance because the population
of Barnacle geese is still relatively small
despite its rapid growth in recent decades,”
says Christian Glahder.
