The economics and the strategic value of northern resource development are growing ever more attractive and critical. With northern oil and gas, minerals and other resources of the northern frontier becoming ever more valuable. It is vital that Canada protects it's interests in the North. The North is poised to take a much bigger role in Canada’s economic and social development. It is attracting international attention, investment capital, people, and commercial and industrial development, from all over the world. With the exploitation of resources in the Beaufort Sea and elsewhere this could be an issue in the near future. With Canada's little dissagrement with Denmark in regards to a small island (Hans Island I believe) could be just the begining. Canada has plans to establish a deep water port in the Arctic that will extend the Navy’s reach even further, and to expand the Army’s presence in the North by establishing a new Arctic training centre and revitalizing the Canadian Rangers, and finally new long-range unmanned aerial surveillance drones will provide continuous air patrols throughout the Arctic. These are the 1st steps that I think Canada needs to do..to protect our North. There has been reports that foreign ships may have routinely sailed through our territory without permission. Any such voyage represents a potential threat to Canadians’ safety and security. Anyway...I"m just blabbing now. But this e could be a huge issue in the near future, in terms of natural resources and and passage rights. Which would translate into billions of dollars in revenue.
If the ship is Iranian you could take the crew hostage. More seriously isn't there a way to prevent ships from crossing Canadian waters without permission? The Hans island issue is interesting. Is it because of fishing quotas or merely a territorial problem?
The dispute is perplexing. Because it has already been agreed that the island will have no territorial sea, there is no possibility to extend one or the other nation’s claims for offshore drilling or fishing rights. One suspects that Canada’s unyielding position today has more to do with its claim to the Northwest Passage than to Hans Island itself. Canada appears to feel that losing its claim to Hans Island may set a precedent for challenge to the more important trans-oceanic passage through the heart of the High Arctic. The United States, for one, has always claimed the Northwest Passage to be an international waterway.
Ok I understand, it's more like a matter of principle. With global warming it is to be expected that more and more ships will go up north and the price of oil will encourge companies to drill in virgin territories. Traffic should be highly restricted or there should be a toll to raise funds for environment. Other countries have tolls (Panama, Egypt etc..) so why not Canada?
It would be nice for Canada’s economic and social development for the government to stop the idiots from whacking baby seals in the head and skinning them for their fur. What sort of psycopath would want a job like that in the first place ?
