The federal government has not taken the required action to address long‑standing gaps in its surveillance of Canada’s Arctic waters, according to a report released on November 15 by the Auditor General, Karen Hogan.
According to CTV News Canada, the report highlighted the gaps in Canada’s surveillance of Arctic waters, exposing the country to security threats, illegal fishing, and unauthorized entry of ships and vessels.
The Canadian Arctic has more than 162,000 kilometers (100,662 miles) of coastline, making up 75 percent of Canada’s total coastline. And in the past 50 years, average summer sea ice levels have dropped by about 40 percent due to climate change.
Besides the effects of climate change on the Arctic, there is also increasing geopolitical competition to consider. Canada’s lack of full awareness of maritime activities could lead to long-term effects on sovereignty if allowed to continue.
“Overall, the federal government has not taken the required action to address long-standing gaps affecting its surveillance of Canada’s Arctic waters,” the Arctic Waters Surveillance report said, according to Radio Canada International.
The 33 – page report flags a sobering litany of areas where Canada is falling short: outdated surveillance equipment; insufficient maritime traffic data, ongoing procurement problems, and no contingency plans for navigating a path forward.
“Increasing interest in the Arctic includes a renewed interest in the region for strategic and military purposes, and Canada’s decisions about surveillance of Arctic waters today may have long-term effects on our sovereignty,” the report said.
One big concern in the Auditor General’s report is the number of ships and satellites that are said to be retired before they can be replaced, leaving a gap in Canada’s ability to detect threats in the Arctic waters.
In the report, Hogan said three RADARSAT satellites launched in 2019 are set to be decommissioned in 2026. Their successor, which has yet to be completed, will likely not be launched until 2035.
“I think we ought to think about the Arctic waterways as our internal waters which is essentially like our backyard, would you want someone traipsing through your backyard?,” said retired Vice-Admiral Darren Hawco on CTV’s Your Morning on Friday.
Going further, Hawco called it an obligation, saying, “We’re responsible for the environmental stewardship, we’re responsible for search and rescue so vessels that are in the Arctic that are unable to monitor the ice and other risks, we’re obligated to respond to support them because it’s our internal waters where Canadian laws apply.”
In a related matter, the defense ministers of Finland, Norway, and Sweden signed an updated statement of intent last Tuesday in Oslo that prioritizes operations planning in the North. All three countries share borders in the Arctic.
“A central aim of this cooperation is to enhance and strengthen operations planning among the Participants in areas of common concern, especially the northern parts of Finland, Norway, and Sweden (North Calotte and expand to other areas as required).”
“In light of the security situation, cooperation and unity among like-minded nations is paramount,” the Statement of Intent on Enhanced Operational Cooperation said. “For this reason, we are determined to take combined measures aiming at enhancing and improving our ability to conduct military operations.”
