Will Rerouting Camp Barneo via Russia Damage the Reputation of the Adventure Community?
Rerouting Camp Barneo flights via Russia would be putting adventure before ethics
Photo: Camp Barneo
Camp Barneo is running out of time. Yesterday, colleagues at ExplorersWeb reported that the floating ice station on the Arctic Ocean is unlikely to operate this spring due to flight restrictions imposed by Norwegian authorities.
In a letter from Norway's Civil Aviation Authority, the Barneo team has been denied permission for the estimated 35 flights from Svalbard to Barneo and back. The Norwegians cited concerns over the environmental impact of the flights and stated that the flights and associated activities are "not compatible with the public interest in this vulnerable area."
Beyond environmental concerns, it seems reasonable to assume that the Norwegians want to protect their own stake in the Arctic and are acutely aware of the political and ethical ramifications of facilitating a business that involves a largely Russian workforce.
The only alternative being considered is to abandon Svalbard as a launchpad and instead route flights through Russia. This would presumably require international tourists to be allowed onto Russian soil before making their way to Barneo. A Russian alternative to Svalbard has been proposed before.
Image: North Pole Marathon
It's understandable that polar guides and tourist businesses, such as the North Pole Marathon, want to get Barneo up and running in 2023. They need to earn a living and have invested heavily in the ice station. However, if the rerouting goes ahead, businesses using Barneo will effectively be doing business with Russia, at a time when the EU, USA, and other countries have imposed wide-ranging sanctions against Russia.
In the same week that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children, the adventure community needs to consider the bigger picture and whether it's ethical to do business with Russia.
In 2016, Chechen soldiers landed at Barneo and conducted military exercises, so it's not outside the realm of possibility that Putin and his cronies could do something similar again. Can you imagine how negatively the world's media would view any association of the adventure community with such an event?
As I considered last week, it may be prudent to pause Camp Barneo for a few years. It's crucial to examine whether the camp's commitment to adventure tourism at any expense is outweighing ethical considerations and the potential harm to the adventure community's reputation.
