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Svalbard Gov. Per Sefland discusses the changes he's seen during his four years as he prepares to depart office Sept. 15. He said his successor, Odd Olsen Ingerø, who also served as governor before Sefland's appointment, will find more of an international presence and less certainty about the future of coal mining than before.

Svalbard Gov. Per Sefland says his successor is returning to a familiar office after four years, but he will find the job has greatly expanded its boundaries.

"Svalbard has really been brought into the center of international polar focus, much more so than four years ago," said Sefland, 60, who is stepping down Sept. 15 after bypassing an optional fifth year in office.

His replacement is Odd Olsen Ingerø, 58, who served as governor from 2001 to 2005. Sefland was appointed to the position in September of 2005 after Sven Ole Fagernæs served briefly as acting governor.

Climate change continues to be a dominant issue, but others affected by warming such as fishing and commercial shipping are gaining international importance, Sefland said. Involvement is also increasing beyond neighbors such as Russia and other Scandinavian countries to places such as Japan, the United States, China, South Korea and India.

Domestic issues are also seeing major changes as coal mining, forecasting a prosperous future four years ago, now faces plummeting prices and demand due to the global recession. Store Norske has already announced a 25 percent reduction of its 400-member workforce and operations in Barentsburg have all but come to a halt due to a 2006 underground fire.

"We have come to a new stage when it comes to coal mining's future," Sefland said. "It is more uncertain what will be the future of coal mining in Svalbard than when he was governor before."

Sefland said he is pleased by accomplishments such as improved relations with Russians on Svalbard and some environmental protections, but still wants to work for additional measures such as a total ban on heavy oil in the archipelago.

"During my stay for four years I have become much more aware we are living in such a vulnerable part of the world," he said.

Sefland was appointed to a three-year term, accepted the opportunity to serve a fourth year but declined a fifth, saying he wanted to return to working on the mainland, where he could also see more of his family and grandkids.

"I have never been in such as demanding, challenging and interesting post," he said. Also, "I have had serious problems with sleeping in the winter."

Sefland, a career law enforcement official, said he has ideas about what he wants to pursue next, but doesn't have a specific position lined up. He said he hopes the work allows him to continue being involved with Svalbard.

His best accomplishment during the past four years, he said, has been "speaking with a clear voice to the Russians." There have historically been tensions between Norway and Russia both in Svalbard and nationally, but some positive changes are happening.

"What I have experienced in the last four years at the local level is the contacts have been very good and there are indications some problems are improving," he said.

Russians were reluctant for many years to accept environmental limits, for instance, trying instead to negotiate agreements, Sefland said. During the past few years, as a result of firm demands that they adhere to the same rules as Norway and other nations in Svalbard, "more and more we are seeing they have increased their applications and we are increasingly giving them licenses."
There has also been progress on cooperative efforts cleaning up PCB toxins in Barentsburg and Pyramiden because "they understand it is their best interests."

But the Russians also face some of the worst economic hardships, especially with the Barentsburg fire reducing mining operations to only what's necessary to generate local power.

"They have been talking about (resuming) mining activity, but that will cost a lot of money," he said. "They had plans to do so, but with the financial crisis and drop in coal prices I'm not sure what are doing."

Russians are also trying to restore facilities to lure tourists, but the pacing and scope of the projects remain uncertain.

A second accomplishment, Sefland said, is "I have helped people in other surroundings with contingency plans and awareness, particularly with rescue operations and oil spills." Other Svalbard officials have said there are still issues to be resolved in those areas, as evidenced by difficulties getting to, assessing and removing the Petrosavodsk when it ran aground and spilled diesel on the coast of Bjørnøya in May.

A ban announced Friday on heavy oil in national parks on the west coast of Svalbard, similar to an existing ban on the east side, is among the environmental protections Sefland has worked for. But he said a complete ban in Svalbard is needed and warns "we must never have an oil spill in this environment."

A similar ban was enacted in Antarctica this year and cruise industry officials say voyages there are being reduced due to a significant rise in operating expenses. Sefland said he doesn't see the local economy suffering as much from a heavy oil ban, estimating 30,000 cruise ship visitors a year "only pass coastlines without making a major impact."

"We see them walking the streets for a few hours, but they are not important for the local tourism," he said.

Coal, while a foundation of Svalbard's economy, is a lingering environmental concern locally, Sefland said.

"I find it as a paradox we are still burning coal at the power station in Longyearbyen," he said, adding increased research should occur into alternative sources such as sun and wind.

Both Sefland and Ingerø are longtime law enforcement officials, including experience with police, prosecutorial and international organizations. That might seem to make them an odd choice to lead an area with some of Norway's lowest crime rates, but Sefland said the complexities of issues such as environmental regulations and international relations require such a background.

"Especially when you're talking about the government system in Svalbard you must understand complicated legal matters," he said. "Even this morning we were discussing the legal framework" of the Svalbard Treaty, he added, removing a large and elegantly bound copy from a bookshelf behind him and dropping it on his desk.

The treaty conflicts with Norwegian law on numerous issues, such as such as health and welfare support systems on the mainland that don't exist in Svalbard.

"It affects foreigners coming to Svalbard who don't have the same level of safety," he said.

Another type of safety issue involves foreigners seeking residency in Svalbard who might have trouble doing so on the mainland, due to the treaty's stipulation all nationalities are welcome without passports. In August a Libyan man expelled from Norway was arrested again after returning undetected and living for a couple of years in Svalbard, with police locating him only because he took a flight to Tromsø.

Sefland said Svalbard should be more welcoming to foreigners as more seek to come here, but there must be more security to keep out troublemakers.

"We can never be a canal leaking (criminals) to Norway," he said.

Some media reports speculate the Nov. 14 parliamentary election may have an effect on oil and other commercial activity in the Norwegian Arctic, especially if conservatives gain enough seats to result in a minority government. But Sefland said he expects only "nuances" to change as a result of the election.

"My guess is very little," he said about possible changes, adding there appears to be a consensus about mainstream issues such as maintaining a well-rounded family society, coal operations without subsidies and increased science activity in Svalbard.

While the issues facing the area will remain important to Sefland, he said he doesn't see him returning in the same manner as his predecessor/successor.

"I want to come back," he said. "As a tourist."

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