The Custodians of the Pikialasorsuaq

In winter, fractures in the polynya’s weak ice offer breathing holes for marine mammals like belugas and narwhals. And when the sun returns, the spring light fuels a phytoplankton bloom, providing a feast for one of the world’s largest spring migrations of walruses, seals, polar bears, belugas, narwhals and bowhead whales. The polynya also serves as a feeding and breeding ground for millions of seabirds.

For generations, the Pikialasorsuaq has been a vital hunting ground for Inuit, providing food and resources that have shaped traditions and ways of life on both sides of the polynya. Additionally, the northern ice bridge has served as a transportation route, fostering strong ties between Inuit communities in Canada and Greenland.

The Pikialasorsuaq under pressure

Yet, the Pikialasorsuaq is under pressure. Environmental changes including rising temperatures make the polynya less stable and, as the shielding ice disappears, it faces greater impacts from industry as it becomes more accessible to shipping, fisheries, tourism and mining. With less predictable polynya formation, changes in plankton blooms, melting glaciers, eroding shorelines and increased commercial activities, the polynya’s unique ecosystem and the Inuit livelihoods it has supported for millennia face an uncertain future.

“Our patterns have changed due to the climate change impacts we see today. Inuit on both sides recognize that it's becoming increasingly difficult to access the polynya because of these changes. Shifting sea ice has altered the way we travel through the region, significantly affecting our lifestyle and culture,” shared Richard Paton, Assistant Executive Director at the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.

The Pikialasorsuaq Commission

Recognizing the significance of this area for Inuit, ICC established the ICC Pikialasorsuaq Commission in 2016. The Commission was formed as a three-year project aimed at producing recommendations for an Inuit strategy for safeguarding and monitoring the health of the polynya for future generations. An important part of its mandate was to consult Inuit communities closely connected to the Pikialasorsuaq in both Greenland and Canada, who have lived in the region and managed its resources for generations.

“As the eyes and ears of the region, Inuit are witnessing the changes in the Pikialasorsuaq daily. We have observed changes in sea ice, snow conditions and the distribution and behavior of marine mammals. We've also noticed new species or sub-species entering our waters,” said Paton.

From the consultations, four main themes of concern and action emerged: the uncertain impacts of climate change and their consequences, the importance of food security and subsistence for both physical and mental well-being, the risks and opportunities posed by increased development in the region, and military activities in the area.

Three recommendations for the future of the Pikialasorsuaq

The concerns and visions of community members were summarized in the 2017 report “People of the Ice Bridge: The Future of the Pikialasorsuaq.” Based on this assessment, the Commission made three key recommendations.

Firstly, the Commission proposed the creation of an Inuit-led management regime, led by representatives from the Pikialasorsuaq communities. This authority would oversee activities such as transportation, shipping, and offshore industrial development, while also monitoring and conserving living resources within and adjacent to the Pikialasorsuaq to ensure the health of dependent communities.

Secondly, the Commission advocated for a conservation economy by establishing a protected area. This area, identified in consultation with the surrounding Inuit communities, would encompass the polynya and a larger management zone that reflects the connection between communities, their natural resources, and the polynya. This zone, managed by Inuit and recognized by governments, would support their vision of a working seascape.

Thirdly, the Commission recommended creating a free travel zone for Inuit across the Pikialasorsuaq region, honoring the shared history and connections of communities on both sides of the polynya.

An example of Inuit-led ecosystem-based management

The proposed conservation approach of the Pikialasorsuaq serves as an example of Inuit-led ecosystem-based management, grounded in the knowledge of the people who have lived and thrived in the area for thousands of years. “When the value of Indigenous Knowledge is realized, we can get to a place of true ecosystem-based management with Inuit Knowledge as its central pillar,” said Herb Nakimayak, Executive Council Member of Inuit Circumpolar Council.

Despite their small population, Inuit already make significant contributions to national conservation efforts. “Our population is less than 0.05 percent of the Canadian population, yet we conserve one-third of Canada's target for the 30 by 30. That is a significant effort by a very small population,” emphasized Paton. By leading the conservation efforts of the Pikialasorsuaq, Inuit can draw on their Indigenous Knowledge in management practices, alongside Western science, bringing together two distinct knowledge systems to inform the best management approach.

Furthermore, this management approach enables Inuit to protect the environment while maintaining their right to hunt and harvest in their lands and waters, and building frameworks for sustainable industries and conservation economies based on their knowledge. “Conservation is a driver of change, but it's also an opportunity for Inuit self-determination and enhancing Inuit decision-making. This allows Inuit to bring forward economic opportunities and become self-sustaining,” Paton explained.

Putting words into action

The first milestone following the release of the report by the Pikialasorsuaq Commission was reached in October 2023 when the governments of Canada and Greenland signed a Letter of Intent for Cooperation on the Pikialasorsuaq to further collaborate on the recommendation for an Inuit-led management regime put forward by the Commission. Work is under way as noted by Sara Olsvig, ICC Chair: “Together with ICC, our governments are preparing to implement the first of three Pikialasorsuaq Commission recommendations by establishing a Pikialasorsuaq Joint Steering Committee to develop instruments and common foundations for an explicit Inuit-led management area.”

Continuing this momentum, ICC is working on implementing the remaining recommendations, including defining the geographical area and ensuring free mobility across the state border. “As the original custodians of the Pikialasorsuaq, we will continue to pursue its more formal safeguarding,” said Olsvig.

In September 2024, Inuit Parties met for the first Pikialasorsuaq Meeting of the Parties (MoP), hosted in Nuuk, Kalaallit Nunaat, by ICC and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA), together with other invited Observers and Participants. Intended to advance upon the work of the ICC Pikialasorsuaq Commission and its three recommendations, those present met to hear updates of the work of participants, the current and future environmental and economic status of the region and advance the recommendation to establish an Inuit-led management regime.

Building on the Letter of Intent signed in 2023, the first MoP worked to ensure continued engagement and leadership of Inuit, producing 21 recommendations to both governments (see link below). They take inspiration from and adhere to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, building on the work of the ICC Pikialasorsuaq Commission and its 2017 report.

Following the MoP, work has advanced between the governments of Canada and Greenland to enable the establishment of a joint steering committee, as outlined in the 2023 Letter of Intent. “ICC remains committed to working with the governments of Canada and Greenland throughout this process and aims to see the establishment of an Inuit-led management regime that will uphold the rights of Inuit and the role of Indigenous Knowledge,” said Olsvig.

The Inuit organization continues to advocate for the Inuit communities of the Pikialasorsuaq region to take full part in the work, as they are best placed to manage and monitor the region and must have a leading role in safeguarding the health of the polynya and its ecosystem for the use of generations to come.

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This article was authored by:
Kristina Bär, Arctic Council Secretariat
Sara Olsvig, Axel Ingemann-Jeremiassen, Sophie Crump, and Benjamin McTaggart, Inuit Circumpolar Council
Richard Paton, Qikiqtani Inuit Association