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| Same job, but new challenge Tougher Svalbard economy confronts Gov. Odd Olsen Ingerø after four-year interval
When Odd Olsen Ingerø left after his first term as governor, it wasn't because he'd seen enough of Svalbard. "The last time I was here I had big plans to see the island, but I stopped at the office most," he said. Ingerø, 58, is back for a second term after serving four years as head of Norway's criminal police department. He said the duties of the job seem similar, but a lot of things big and small have changed considerably. "During the 14 days I have been here I have been using the time to get to know my colleagues because almost all of them are new in office," he said during an Oct. 6 interview in his office. Ingerø, who actually replaced Per Sefland as governor a bit before that on Sept. 15, said at the other end of the spectrum "the international interest in Svalbard is more than it was four or five years ago." Also, coal mining has gone from a thriving industry to a struggling one and Svalbard's Russian settlement of Barentsburg has been significantly hurt as a result. Returning to office hasn't been quite as simple as getting to know new people and developments. He was forced to intervene in last week's blockade of the Svea coal mine by Greenpeace, leading police and other officials in ordering the protesters to leave or face arrest. Ingerø is among those who believes it's Svalbard's first such protest, but he said dealing with it so soon after taking office wasn't an extraordinary challenge. "It's more of an ordinary action when we do police work all our life," he said. Ingerø was a deputy judge in Vardø from 1980-1981 and a police department official at the municipal and national level for more than 20 years. He spent more than a decade working closely with Russia as head of the East Finnmark police in Kirkenes, although he said that relationship is considerably different than in Svalbard. There he was in a town working with the Russian city of Murmansk and its 1 million residents. "I looked at us as a little brother," he said. In Svalbard the Russians are under Norwegian law, a relationship filled with a mixture of cooperation and disputes sometimes resulting in prosecutions for criminal violations. Ingerø said the main issue he expects to face with them is ensuring they comply with regulations as they seek to develop mining, tourism and fisheries projects, but a top hope is improving their economic struggles. "I hope the difference in the living standard with Barentsburg (and Longyearbyen) will be decreased," he said. About 800 people were working in active Russian mines when Ingerø left his first term as governor in 2005, compared to 400 to 500 working mostly on restoration projects today after an underground fire halted nearly all their mining activity. He said many of the Russian tourism and fisheries projects were being discussed when he left, so progress is happening slowly, but there is a noticeable improvement in their food, working conditions and salaries. He said he has not had serious discussions with Russian officials yet, but hopes to in early November. Ingerø said he thinks, with the knowledge available today, mining in the Norwegian settlements by Store Norske probably has a 15- to 20-year lifespan. "I think Store Norske will be doing mining for many years to come, but the main stores in the field depends on how much they take out every year," he said. The availability and regulation of new mining sites is part of the ongoing debate by the Norway's Parliament about Svalbard's future, but Ingerø said his responsibility is providing facts, not opinions, to policymakers. He said that's not a problem, knowing the Norwegian government has already endorsed the general concept of continued mining as long as it's done in compliance with strict environmental regulations. "The greatest challenge with this job is to accept the overriding policy," he said. "My job is to balance protection and the opportunity" for commercial activity. His predecessor, Sefland, earned headlines nationwide shortly before departing office by calling a total ban on heavy oil in Svalbard. He said the ban primarily affects large cruise ships, and will reduce pollution and the risk of major environmental damage if a spill occurs. A similar ban enacted in Antarctica this year has some companies scaling back tours when the restrictions take place next year, citing the high cost of lighter fuel. Ingerø said he expects increased oil regulation, but "I think it will take years." But better contingency planning and emergency response equipment is vital. "Oil pollution is a big problem and we have to be prepared," he said. Security is another area where increased activity appears likely. The governor's office recently received a biometrics terminal that scans fingerprints and newer passports with electronic chips, as such machines are expected to be mandatory in many places in the near future. "Today it's very calm and most people are legal," Ingerø said. But Svalbard's historical policy of allowing all nationalities to come without a passport may eventually have to change. "I think in the future it will maybe be necessary but, still, if they are good people they have to be able to come here," he said. "We can't stop them. But it would be good to know who they are." Changes in other areas some residents feel are lacking, including school opportunities and health care services, may not be as likely, Ingerø said. "I will always hope for the best for Longyearbyen and Svalbard, but I don't expect big changes," he said. The biggest surprise so far during his return term is it's taking longer than expected to get adjusted, Ingerø said. He said he's hoping to eventually get out and see a lot of Svalbard by snowscooter. "But maybe I will come to the office instead," he said. |
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