Canada and Greenland to cooperate on Arctic marine conservation

Canada and Greenland signed a letter of intent on conserving a marine area between the territories of the two countries.

According to High North News, the area in question is called the North Water Polynya, known as Pikialasorsuaq in Greenland and Sarvarjuaq in Nunavut, and is an area of water between Greenland and Nunavut.

Strong ocean currents merge in this area, meaning it stays ice-free year-round. This makes it an ecologically rich area important for wildlife activities like mating and feeding.

“This is a milestone for closer collaboration with our international partners and Inuit communities and is an important step towards ensuring this critical body of water remains healthy and supports the needs of Inuit for years to come,” Diane Lebouthillier, Canada’s minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, said in a statement.

Lebouthillier signed the letter of intent with Greenland’s Minister of Agriculture, Self-Sufficiency, Energy and Environment Kalistat Lund in Reykjavik.