The Canadian government and the National Energy Board have permitted a five year oil exploration project in Baffin Bay and Davis Strait. These waters are in Canada’s Arctic – right off Clyde River’s coast and where 80-90 per cent of the world’s narwhals live, play, breed, and thrive. After engaging in all available channels and sharing their fears about the impacts of oil exploration on marine life, Clyde River’s concerns fell on deaf ears and left them with nowhere else to turn. They have now taken a historic and courageous step by launching a legal challenging against National Energy Board decision to allow oil exploration in their territorial waters.
To add strength to Clyde River’s battle, Greenpeace has launched an international petition to support their legal challenge. Only 900 people live in Clyde River. By joining them, we can help add thousands of additional voices to their chorus asking for justice, environmental protection, and respect for Indigenous rights.
The petition invites people to send an email to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Chair and CEO of the National Energy Board Peter Watson expressing solidarity with Clyde River’s legitimate right to protect their traditional lands and waters, and the Arctic wildlife they intrinsically depend on.
Baffin Bay and Davis Strait are rich in sea mammals that are staples of Inuit diet and culture. The process of oil exploration includes using deafeningly loud air cannons to map oil and gas deposits in the sea floor. These cannons send sound waves that can permanently damage or even kill marine life. Because of these significant risks, numerous Nunavut-based associations asked the NEB to withhold approval for the project until further research could be done on the safety of the proposed seismic testing. However, despite these widespread concerns, the NEB approved the project in June. A month later, community groups from Clyde River filed an application at the Federal Court of Appeal challenging the decision.
Nader Hasan, the constitutional lawyer representing Clyde River’s groups, agrees wholeheartedly with their vision: “This truly is a David vs. Goliath case. Fortunately, however, the Constitution of this country does not give preference to the rich and powerful. It protects what is just and right. And make no mistake: the decision to permit seismic testing clearly violates the constitutional rights of the people of Clyde River and Nunavut.”
Clyde River needs all the support they can get to stop seismic testing and oil development in their territorial waters. It is indeed a small group standing up against the richest and most powerful industry on this planet. On top of that, they have to play tug-of-war with their own government, who puts private profit before people’s right to preserve their culture and lifestyle.
Unless Clyde River wins this court case, seismic testing in Baffin Bay and Davis Strait will begin in 2015.
This would mean a catastrophe for Arctic people and wildlife, and a serious threat to Inuit culture and lifestyle. That’s why Clyde River needs your support. Now. Please sign this petition and share it with everyone you know.