High North News

"The wildland fires are a huge problem for us. Millions of acres of Alaska burn every year," says Deputy Director of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. Nettie La Belle-Hamer Arctic Encounter U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Arctic Council Morten Høglund #Wildfires #Wildlandfires #climatechange #Alaska https://lnkd.in/dJT7yTxD

Within weeks of securing funding to build around a half dozen new icebreakers several U.S. shipyards as well as builders in Canada and Finland have thrown their hats in the ring to construct the new vessels for the U.S. Coast Guard. Aker Arctic Technology Inc Bollinger Shipyards Rauma Marine Constructions Oy #Arctic #icebreaker #Canada #Finland #USA #Defense #Security https://lnkd.in/dpwz-VZN

The Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 is currently operating off the coast of Northern Norway. The group is patrolling and conducting anti-submarine activities to protect critical sea lines of communication. Forsvaret - Norwegian Armed Forces #Norway #NATO #Defense #Arctic https://lnkd.in/eqmpZy7K

Dear readers. We start autumn in Anchorage, Alaska, where journalist Hilde G. Bye is covering the Arctic Encounter Symposium. More to come, so join us at https://lnkd.in/dJ7KnbBe or https://lnkd.in/e5yWU3U4 #Arctic

The U.S. government is in negotiations to purchase several icebreakers from Finland, including construction of new vessels and possibly the 33-year old Fennica. The news follows ongoing developments in the global icebreaker market with both Canadian and Finnish yards recently launching new projects. US COAST GUARD #Finland #Canada #Icebreaker #Security #defense https://lnkd.in/dQX6Xw_8

High North News is closed for the summer holiday in July. See you in August! Arctic greetings from the HNN-team.

#Norway must be able to #defend #Svalbard, believes Terje Aunevik, Chair of the Longyearbyen Community Council. At the same time, he and the County Chair for Finnmark Socialist Left are calling for proper #strengthening of #critical #infrastructure in the #North. Festspillene i Nord-Norge Longyearbyen lokalstyre UiT Norges arktiske universitet https://bit.ly/4lbQ4AT

#Newsletter: We are in the final stretch of the debate series High Noon at the True Northern Arts Festival before the summer holiday. But we are also keeping a close watch on defense and investments in the Arctic. Here is the final newsletter before the holiday. Festspillene i Nord-Norge #Arctic https://lnkd.in/dHYwszaj

Outside of Russia, most recent #Chinese investments in the other #Arctic states have stalled or failed, according to a new report. "If we are to have a proper conversation about Chinese investments in the Arctic, it is important to create a joint, evidence-based understanding of the scale and scope," says researcher Anders Edstrøm.

#Comment from Arne O. Holm: Norway's King Harald has visited Svalbard. Iconic pictures of royalty struggling to get ashore on the stormy Arctic island of Bjørnøya, before boarding a trailer pulled by a tractor, are going around the world. From there, stories about the geopolitical significance of the King's visit have arisen. Det kongelige hoff Sysselmesteren på Svalbard Longyearbyen lokalstyre #Svalbard #therexeffect #sovereignity #KingHarald #Debate https://lnkd.in/dHQt7ajc