Adaptation Actions for a Changing Arctic: Perspectives from the Barents Area

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Chapter 2 · Status of the natural and human environments

region, likely habitats, potential ecological and socio-economic effects and references to relevant literature. The database was last updated inApril 2015. However, commitments are needed from all countries involved to ensure that the information remains up-to-date and complete.

(Gederaas et al., 2012). For Finnmark, Troms and Nordland, 25, 65, and 77 species, respectively, were assigned to the two highest impact categories – severe impact and high impact – indicating for which species actions were most needed. For the Norwegian part of the Barents Sea, the Atlantic snow crab and the Canada goose ( Branta canadensis ) were highlighted as species causing severe impacts.The assessment was based on ecological impact alone, no effects on human health or economy were taken into account. In 2013, a Svalbard-specific action plan was produced on how to deal with invasive alien species (SMS,2013). At present, three species are actively removed from Svalbard: two mammals, the East European vole ( Microtus levis ) and the housemouse ( Mus musculus ),and the vascular plant cowparsley ( Anthriscus sylvestris ).The vole acts as an intermediate host for the tapeworm ( Echinococcus granulosa ), a lethal parasite for humans,which provided an added impetus for its extermination. Another 11 terrestrial vascular species are on a monitoring list, five of which are to be removed if found. Three marine species are being monitored: red king crab ( Paralihoides camtschatica ), Atlantic snow crab and pink salmon ( Oncorhynchus gorbuscha ). The red king crab was introduced deliberately to the southern Barents Sea region in the 1960s and has become a valuable commercial species. It is currently distributed mainly along the Russian and Norwegian coasts of the southern Barents Sea but is dispersing northward (Figure 2.10).In the Russian sectors,the fjords are open and slope gradually toward the open oceanwhile in theNorwegian regions,the coast and fjords are steep and deep. As a result, the crabs are restricted to the coast in Norway where the migration for feeding (deep waters) and mating (shallow waters) take place close to land, while on the Russian side the crabsmigrate northward over the shallowbanks to reach foraging areas in deeper waters (Jørgensen and Nilssen, 2011 ) . Snow crabs are a more recent addition to the region. How the introduction occurred is unclear, larvae were perhaps transported with ballast water, or changing environmental conditions promoted the migration of adults. But in any case, this species was first recorded outside the Pacific region by Kuzmin (2000) in 1996 close to northern Goose Bank, which appears to be a recruitment area (Agnalt et al., 2011).However, snow crab is a cold-water species and has spread rapidly into the eastern Barents Sea. It generally lives at depths of 20–700 m and at temperatures below 5–8°C (Elner and Beninger, 1992). Similar to king crab,snow crab preys on other species of benthic animals (Squires and Dawe, 2003). In Sweden, Finland, and European parts of Russia, work on invasive alien species is progressing through The European Network on Invasive Alien Species (NOBANIS, www.nobanis.org). An open access portal has been developed to provide information about alien and invasive species in the region. This includes a central database with updated information from all countries participating in NOBANIS, factsheets for the most invasive species in the region, access to an identification key to marine invasive species, newsletters, an invasive species photo bank, and information about the national legislation on invasive alien species in the region. As well as providing general information, the system is intended to act as an early warning system, with a species alert function for new invasive species to the region, including information on how the species gets introduced, its current distribution in the

2.3 Socio-economic environment and resource use

In terms of the socio-economic environment and resource use, the Barents area represents a mosaic of highly varied conditions and challenges. Given its size, complexity and historical variation this is not one region but many and they are all undergoing change as a result of broader trends in globalization and urbanization. Globalization – a linked political, economic and socio-cultural phenomenon – is central to many of these changes, including changes in trade flow, shifting patterns of local industrial activity, and the potential impacts of climate change for the economy, environment, and security (Heininen and Southcott, 2010; Keskitalo and Southcott, 2015). This section provides background descriptions mainly focused on the Barents Region in comparison to other northern areas, including information on general population, employment, and infrastructure trends (Section 2.3.1). The latter parts focus on the resource-dependent sectors that are directly impacted by environmental change (Section 2.3.2). To provide some background information for addressing the issue of human adaptation to climate change this chapter broadens the political context of Arctic issues by including a focus on various human dimensions in the Barents Region. This includes some consideration of political and planning systems, the international economic context relevant to environment- based sectors, and demographic and institutional change.

! Single observations

Distribution area

Figure 2.10 Distribution of red king crab in the Barents Sea (Norwegian Institute of Marine Research).