Arctic Ocean: the new marine plastic frontier

Marine litter is a problem that knows no borders – and now it’s a problem in the Arctic where ocean currents bring pollution from all over the world.

There is concern that because of the way these currents work, the Arctic Ocean is becoming a “sink” for marine litter. Plastic debris is now found in all Arctic waters – along the coasts, on the surface, in the water column and on the sea floor. It is even being found in sea ice as climate change melts the Arctic’s frozen cover.

All this plastic may endanger vulnerable Arctic environments and pose a threat to ecosystems, societies and maritime economies. The inhabitants of the Arctic, including Indigenous Peoples, are the first to face the outcomes, including potential health concerns of ingesting microplastics from eating fish.

The problem was the focus of a panel discussion held at the recent annual Arctic Frontiers meeting in Tromsø in northern Norway.

Ola Elvestuen, the country’s newly appointed Minister of Climate and Environment, was one of the featured speakers at “Frozen Plastic”, an event organised by Akvaplan-Niva, Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), and GRID-Arendal, and sponsored by The Fram Centre. The issue of marine plastics has been at the top of the Norwegian government agenda for several years.

“Plastic in oceans is a huge waste of resources,” said Elvestuen, and pointed to the need for a green transition towards a circular “zero waste” economy. He and Jan Dusik, UN Environment’s principal advisor for the Arctic and Antarctic, also outlined some of the achievements of governments, and the international community in the battle against litter. “Norway has the ambition to take a leading global role,” said the Minister. He pointed to the newly adopted Norwegian Programme to combat marine litter and microplastics, and last year’s UN Environmental Assembly resolution addressing marine litter and microplastics.

While there has been “an exponential growth in scientific publications on the topic,” Fridtjof Unander from Norwegian Research Council pointed out that the need for information means that researchers “should engage in the political debate and communicate in a way that is understandable.”

“We do not need more data to know that we need to act,” said Jenna Jambeck, a researcher on solid waste from the University of Georgia in the United States. That requires revisions of existing waste management practices and implementation of preventive actions that use the best and up-to-date scientific knowledge and methods to increase the value and efficiency of measures.

Claudia Halsband, a senior researcher from Akvaplan-Niva, a norwegian environmental company, pointed out that there is still a lack of knowledge about the sources, pathways, distribution and harmful effects of different types of plastic litter. Of particular concern are microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics.

The gap between research and managing plastic pollution in the Arctic needs to be closed, Elvestuen said, adding that it was his responsibility “to react to research” but that “others should define what research is needed.”

Elvestuen emphasised that research is a key part of the “Jeløy-platform,” an agreement on the coalition government’s priorities for the coming four years.

While the overall impact of plastic debris on Arctic biota remains uncertain, available studies clearly confirm that a plastic diet does not contribute to healthy marine organisms and ecosystems. This has been experienced by the unlucky whale that stranded on a Norwegian beach just about one year ago. Karoline Andaur, acting CEO of WWF Norway, thanked the whale for opening the eyes of a broader group of stakeholders to the problem of marine pollution.

Shipping and fishing are the main sea-based source of plastic pollution but is also heavily impacted by it. Marit Haugseth of the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association said her industry is very worried about the fate of plastics in the ocean, and concerned about how marine litter affect fish stocks, health and the reputation of Norway’s fisheries.

Fisheries are an important part of the Norwegian economy and endangering Arctic Ocean ecosystems will have a rapid effect on people and business. For this reason, the fisheries industry “wants to be a part of the solution, and has to be part of a dialogue between scientists and policy-makers, otherwise [they] cannot contribute.”