MarES: Changing uses and values of marine ecosystem services in the Norwegian Arctic

Informations

Funding country

Norway

Acronym

-

URL

-

Start date

1/1/2017

End date

12/31/2020

Budget

895,071 EUR

Fundings

Abstract

Globally, the Natural environment is degraded at an increasing pace, leading to losses of ecosystem services. Corresponding processes takes Place in Norway, and the Focus of this Project is how inhabitants in Arctic Norway, assess the increasing use of the Coastal zone for Commercial activities. According to statistics, inhabitants in Arctic Norway make more extensive use of the Natural environment for recreational and subsistence activities compared to People further South. In turn, this means they will be more affected by decreased Access. The Focus of this Project is 4 industries, which are expected to expand in Arctic Norway. These are aquaculture (salmon farming), marine Fishing tourism, mining, and transportation of oil/gas. The Project applies various types of surveys to map how inhabitants in Arctic Norway assess the expansion of these industries in the Coastal zone. Regarding aquaculture Our Focus was on a regional Coastal zone plan suggesting a significant increase in the number of localities for salmon farming off the Balsfjord, Karlsøy, Lyngen, Målselv and Tromsø municipalities. We implemented 10 valuation workshops, asking People about the plans for aquaculture expansion, and if they were willing to pay something to reduce the number of New localities. Results show that People on average are negative to the planned expansion, and are willing to pay to get a lower expansion in aquaculture activities. In particular, inhabitants in the urban municipality Tromsø, and the municipalities With Shorter Coastal lines, were willing to pay more for reduced expansion than the regional average. When it comes to the environmental effects of aquaculture, people are particularly concerned about effects on the seabed. They are somewhat concerned about effects on marine species like cod and wild salmon, and they care little about visual intrusion of the seascape. Regarding marine Fishing tourism (MFT) we interviewed inhabitants and MFT Companies in Tromsø and Svolvær (Lofoten islands), and found interesting differences across the two cities. In an internet based survey among inhabitants in Arctic Norway we asked how they would allocate the right to harvest on the red-listed Coastal cod between tourism Fishers, Commercial Fishers and local recreational Fishers. While there was agreement that commercial Fishers should be prioritized, there was less agreement concerning whether tourism Fishers should be allowed increased Access to the Coastal cod.There was large agreement, and significant willingness to pay for efforts to increase the coastal cod stock. Regarding the mining industry we investigated the planned re-opening of the copper mine located at Repparfjorden in Kvalsund municipality (now part of Hammerfest municipality). What makes these plans highly controversial is the planned deposition of mine tailings in the Repparfjord. First, we interviewed People in the towns Alta and Hammerfest, located immediately South and North of the Repparfjord, about their viewpoints on the planned reopening, and found that viewpoints differed considerably across the two towns. Next, we implemented an internet based survey among inhabitants in Finnmark county, Troms and Nordland counties, and Oslo (the Capital) asking their willingness to pay for reduced mining activities in Kvalsund. The results indicaets that there is a significant willingness to pay for reduced activity in the mines, and people in Oslo seems to be more WTP. People are more concerned about how fast re-establishment of biological life can take place, than effects on the wild salmon. Although there is Limited oil Production off the Arctic Norway Mainland, transportation of oil and gas takes Place along the coast. Facilities to prevent oilspill and to clean up pollution from this transportation is far more Limited compared to in the South of Norway, and in an internet based survey we asked inhabitants in Arctic Norway whether they were willing to pay to increase the supply of such facilities. The results will, when finished, be communicated to the Directorate for Coastal Affairs, which have the responsibility for the Development of such facilities. Putting together results from the mentioned surveys will give a Picture of how inhabitants in Arctic Norway assess the planned expansions in the 4 marine and maritime industries. Furthermore, it provide Insights in whether they would be willing to pay to reduce the planned expansions. We also included methodological tests in the surveys. These include how uncertainties regarding detrimental environmental effects of aquaculture Production affect people's willingness to pay (WTP) to reduced planned expansions. Furthermore we test how geographic distance to the location of the industrial expansion matters for the size of the WTP, also called distance decay. Finally, we test how various ways of exhibiting the marine tourism Fishing industry affect peoples' assessment of expansions in the industry.