Angus Robertson: High time to join our friends in the North and face the Arctic challenge

Published on Tuesday 29 November 2011 12:56

The UK has opted out of taking a serious approach to the economic and military changes the melting ice cap will bring. Scotland must not

THE seas north of Scotland are warming at an alarming rate. Recent studies show that the warming in the Arctic is occurring faster than anywhere else on the planet, and the average temperature in the region has surpassed all previous measurements in the first decade of the 21st century.

Sea ice has been shrinking, and the melting of Greenland’s ice sheet and other Arctic ice caps will contribute more and more to the rise in global sea levels.

The facts are sobering. Sea ice in the Arctic is melting faster than at any time in the past four decades. During this summer the Northwest Passage was free of ice and this trend is set to continue and become the norm.

These changes in Scotland’s back yard are significant and are accelerating. Our neighbours are at action-stations and Scottish Government ministers are thinking about the challenges as we approach the independence referendum. The massive changes impacting on the High North and Arctic will become a significant feature of the years and decades ahead. While the environmental concerns are alarming there are also significant economic opportunities and geo-strategic challenges which must be tackled.

These include oil, gas and mineral extraction and new international shipping routes. Up to 30 per cent of the world’s undiscovered gas reserves and 10 per cent of oil resources are believed to be located in the Arctic. With the opening of northern shipping lanes, vessels sailing between East Asia and Western Europe could save more than 40 per cent in transportation time and fuel costs by navigating the sea lanes north of Siberia rather than the southern route through the Suez Canal. Rising sea temperatures also mean that there are new fishing grounds.

Given all of these developments, one would imagine that the United Kingdom government would be taking this very seriously. Sadly it is not. At last week’s International Maritime Organisation assembly, the UK did not even raise the massive challenges of the northern dimension.

Amongst our neighbours the changing circumstances are however being thoroughly considered. Given the national priorities at play they are keen to ensure stability in the region, which necessitates ecological, economic, diplomatic and defence cooperation and understanding.

All of this explains why the countries adjoining the Arctic are taking the issues very seriously. Norway, Denmark, Russia, Canada and the United States have all developed specific policy priorities for the High North and Arctic. Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands consider this a top priority as do nations like Sweden and Finland.

Last week in Oslo, the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies hosted an event to discuss the recent white paper on the High North published by the Norwegian government. Participants included experts from Norway, Brussels and the United States.

Our neighbours’ multilateral engagement is extremely serious and they are working closely together. This has happened for decades through the Nordic Council of Ministers and Nordic Council, and has recently been widened to include enhanced bilateral and multilateral relations with the Baltic Republics.

Nordic co-operation is broad and embraces areas such as environment, health, energy supply, research, culture, education, IT, research and business advancement. There is a specific Arctic Co-operation Programme which works together with countries in the Arctic Council which was formed in 1998 with the signing of the Ottowa Declaration.

An additional important consideration relates to regional security, where finely tuned defence priorities provide the capabilities which secure stability and aid the civil power across the massive area which constitutes the High North and Arctic. Our neighbours are scaling up their infrastructural capacities in the region.

Despite different relations to treaty organisations such as the European Union and Nato, the Nordic and Baltic nations are pushing ahead together as never before. This includes shared basing, training and procurement arrangements. For nations like Norway and Denmark in particular, deployability and reach within the High North and Arctic is a key consideration. This is not the case for the UK.

Recently, the UK government mapped out its future priorities in a Strategic Defence Review a weighty 75-page report which doesn’t mention the northern dimension once, underlining that it is not an important focus for Whitehall.

In addition, UK defence cuts to infrastructure and capabilities in Scotland means we will have a diminished ability to directly co-operate with our neighbours. Damaging decisions include the scrapping all fixed-wing Nimrod search and rescue aircraft. Air Force operations are ending from two out of three of the northern airbases.

There are no appropriate conventional sea-going vessels based in Scotland at all. Current UK defence plans include the withdrawal of specialised amphibious personnel from Scotland while there are no helicopters or transport aircraft. Even a cursory glance at the inventory of our neighbours shows their broader capability across all three services.

Scotland cannot afford to take this approach. With preparations under way ahead of the independence referendum it is reassuring that these regional developments are influencing the thinking of the SNP Scottish Government. First Minister Alex Salmond has visited Norway on numerous occasions to discuss common issues including the planned electricity inter-connector.

In contrast, no UK Prime Minister has made an official visit to our closest North Sea neighbour in 25 years which tells its own story about UK priorities.

Constitutional developments in Scotland and significant environmental changes offer a real opportunity and imperative to properly engage with our wider geographic region.

Our neighbours to the north and east have already made a good start and work constructively together. We need to join them and play our part. The UK has opted out of a serious approach. We should not.

For centuries, independent Scotland had close diplomatic and trading relations with our regional neighbours. The advent of political union in 1707 diverted domestic attention to the development of the British Empire to the detriment of our links with Scotland’s immediate region.

The time has come to rediscover our neighbourhood and the issues, interests, opportunities and challenges we share.

• Angus Robertson MP is the Westminster SNP Leader, Foreign Affairs and Defence spokesman.

Comments

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Beachdair

Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 10:40 PM

#12 nabodican - Can you verify that? Thought not.

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12

nabodican

Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 09:34 PM

The writer of this article is simply wrong - he is telling large porkies.

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Dr. James Wilkie

Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 03:32 PM

It is good to see that the SNP is alive to the potential of the Arctic region, even although Scotland is not within the region as such. The Scottish Democratic Alliance (SDA) is also well in touch here, having had personal representation at relevant international discussions. ………………………………………………………………………………….. The issue is of economic importance to a maritime nation like Scotland, because climate change has opened up not only the famous north-west passage, but also the north-east passage along the coast of Siberia. Both of them are now open to shipping during the summer months for the first time in human history, thus drastically shortening east-west transport routes. …………………………………………………………………………………. We have to learn to look at the region from a viewpoint vertically above the North Pole, when it can be seen that the Arctic Sea is a vast, roughly circular basin bounded by the coasts of the member states of the Arctic Council, with its headquarters in Tromsö, Norway. it is particularly gratifying to see that the Council also includes six organisations representing the native populations of the coastal regions. ……………………………………………………………………………….. Neither the UK nor Scotland has any direct political interest in the commercial exploitation of the Arctic region, since none of it comes within our national EEZ, nor is the military security of the region our business. Fortunately, security issues are of limited concern in the Arctic Council's work, such is the close and harmonious cooperation there between the eight countries concerned - Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, United States, Canada and Iceland. One thing they do not want is external political interference from outside the region, e.g. from China and above all the European Union. ………………………………………………………………………………… There is nevertheless plenty of scope for Scottish entrepreneurs in the Arctic, as Cairn Oil has shown (even although it has been drilling for two years to the north-west of Greenland without finding anything so far), even if Scotland is not a partner nation in the region itself. ………………………………………………………………………………... Where I agree with Angus Robertson is that Scotland is an interested partner in the neighbouring sub-arctic north-eastern Atlantic region, along with Denmark, Norway, the Faeroes, Greenland, Iceland and Russia. There is plenty of scope for cooperation there, especially after fishing has been taken out of the destructive hands of the European Union.

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SlyFifer

Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 07:55 AM

Just a quick look at any Atlas at the geography of Scotland and Norway and it is clear that the land masses have much in common. What the Scots have in common with these Nordic countries is as much hostorical as anything else. Perhaps our mindset too which is no way in tune with the Anglo-Saxon one. Scotland with a vast coastline and widely spread communities needs coastal and air protection, first and foremost. What has the UK been cutting ?. You got it. What has the Scots parliament been doing ?. Scotland should sign up to the Nordic Alliance and make sure representatives communicate regularly. That's where Scotland's focus should be. Our stary eyed myopic view of London should be terminated forthwith, they have nothing and I mean - nothing to offer Scots !.

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Beachdair

Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 02:24 AM

Regardless of whether you believe in global warming, global cooling or global stasis, the countries in or bordering on the arctic have national interests to protect and-or project. But as Mr Robertson points out, "Recently, the UK government mapped out its future priorities in a Strategic Defence Review a weighty 75-page report which doesn’t mention the northern dimension once, underlining that it is not an important focus for Whitehall." Mr Robertson well knows it will be an important focus for independent Scotland, whose national interests differ significantly from those of the United Kingdom. ............................................................................................The Scottish Democratic Alliance (SDA) is very aware of the security and defence issues which will face independent Scotland. We have developed a comprehensive planning document for condsideration by the Scottish government and public. It is available for free download at scottishdemocraticalliance dot org slash International slash Security & Defence. Scroll down to download the PDF documents.

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noodle doodle

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 09:04 PM

"These changes in Scotland’s back yard".. I take it Robertson's degree isn't in geography. The north pole is 2,000 miles north of the shetlands, and the north-west passage lies north of canada 2,300 miles away from the shetlands. Tripoli is only 2,100 miles from the shetlands. Should scotland claim Libya as it's backyard to start meddling in? Cyprus is only 2,300 miles away, we should be offering to help out the greekturkish problem in our "backyard" there.

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Broon Bairn

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 12:27 PM

Well, I look forward to the day when an independent Scotland is an active member of EFTA. Better that than locked into a corrupt and mad EU.

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bieldmaster

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 06:39 PM

Angus Robertson M.P.S.N.P Leader at Westminster of Defence and Foreign affairs, is some what tardy with expressing his opinion on the subject matter, of Artic Ice cap melt;it is some years now since the likes of David Attenborough along with many other sources, have been trying to draw the attention of the general public to the major cosequences,in the forseeable future, that green house gas effect is going to have . As Defence Minister with a constituecy based in the North along side First Minister Alex Salmond; S.N.P.requiers to take a keen interest in being seen to maintain M.O.D representation in the North of Scotland. With the 4yrs.+ remaining, prior to the next Holyrood election,. they can plan the source of funding requiered for Scotland to maintain a defence budget representative of a fully independant country.Unless they forgoea complete seperatist intention ,choosing to "cherry pick" items in their manifesto and rely on the U.K.Westminster Gov. to fund a Scottish Independant armed forces.. The alternative is to remain a consittuent part of the U.K.Nato alliance. Historicly; we have wittnessed several attempts to claim participation with other countries ,including Norway ;these in the fulness of time have just bcome figments of theS.N.P.hierachy's overheated imaginations.

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alankr

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 01:28 PM

Al Gore must have sabotaged my submarine link:) Plenty of others http:stevengoddard.wordpress.com20110410ice-free-north-pole-at-peak-ice-on-march-17-1959

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Heinz Doofensmirtz

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 11:07 AM

Just how did the vikings sail to america?

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alankr

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 09:51 AM

"During this summer the Northwest Passage was free of ice and this trend is set to continue and become the norm." This summer is hardly unusual, the North Pole was free of ice in 1958. That is the true North Pole not the position of magnetic north pole in 1996 (about 250 miles south of the north pole) reached by that nonsense rowing expedition earlier this year. If their reports are true there must have been a lot more ice in September 2011 than in 1958. See:- http:www.ihatethemedia.comphoto-north-pole-submarine

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Tom Buidhe

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 09:23 AM

This global warming is getting really serious here we have the latest reports from Norway. ........................Just in from Norway: The Arctic ocean is warming up, icebergs are growing scarcer and in some places the seals are finding the water too hot, according to a report to the Commerce Department at Bergen, Norway. Reports from fishermen, seal hunters and explorers all point to a radical change in climate conditions and hitherto unheard-of temperatures in the Arctic zone. Exploration expeditions report that scarcely any ice has been met with as far north as 81 degrees 29 minutes. Soundings to a depth of 3,100 meters showed the gulf stream still very warm. Great masses of ice have been replaced by moraines of earth and stones, the report continued, while at many points well known glaciers have entirely disappeared. Very few seals and no white fish are found in the eastern Arctic, while vast shoals of herring and smelts, which have never before ventured so far north, are being encountered in the old seal fishing grounds. - dated, 1922.

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a33

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 09:16 AM

"The facts are sobering. Sea ice in the Arctic is melting faster than at any time in the past four decades.". . .Yep! Since measurements began 40 years ago Antarctic sea ice has been INCREASING by 1% per decade....so what?

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