Iron mine threatens Beluga around Baffin Island
A large iron mine, operated by the Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation, has now been proposed in Baffin Island, with possibly severe impacts on wildlife on the island, such as development across the calving grounds of the caribou, and the establishment of two major ports. A 149 kilometres railway is planned, 100 kilometres of roads, 83 quarries (producing ca. 29,500,000 tons), and in an operation phase with an estimated traffic of 110 trucks per day (Baffinland, 2011). The possible establishment of this project in Canada’s High Arctic will not only possibly have major terrestrial impacts, but it will also severely endanger the migration of the Beluga Whales between Greenland and Canada’s Arctic and possibly crucial parts of their winter range.
Year: 2015
From collection: Living Planet: Connected Planet, Rapid Response Assessment
Cartographer: Riccardo Pravettoni, UNEP/GRID-Arendal