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There have been a number of visits to Newfoundland from Greenlanders who see Newfoundland as a model for their future development. There’s no doubt they are interested in what Newfoundlanders have to teach them as they move forward. And, of course, any expertise Newfoundland develops through its work in Greenland can only help the province to position itself as a major player and provider as the rest of the Artic gradually opens up for exploration and exploitation.
Newfoundland and Labrador’s connection with Greenland hasn’t always been a happy one, however. In December 2004, vessels from Greenland and the Faroe Islands, a Danish province in the North Sea, were banned from docking in Canadian ports because of their refusal to follow shrimp quotas set by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO). The ban, which caused some economic hardship in those Newfoundland ports where the vessels routinely unloaded and processed their catches, remained in place for just over three years before being lifted in March 2008 by then Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn.
Now, those days seem to be long forgotten. The current excitement in Newfoundland business circles about doing business with Greenland is palpable. Although companies are leery about putting facts into print it’s no secret that several companies with experience in supplying and servicing the domestic oil industry are in negotiations for contracts with Cairn Energy and other companies setting up shop in Greenland.
At one time it seemed that the only thing Greenland had to offer Newfoundland and Labrador was the procession of icebergs that calved off its ice sheet every spring to parade past the province’s shores. At first glance that hardly seems like a blessing, but Newfoundlanders eventually saw the waterborne giants’ annual arrival as an opportunity. Cleverly touted, icebergs were transformed into tourist magnets and those that were not sufficiently picturesque were harvested for designer water and specialty spirits, wines and beers. What began as a liability became something else entirely. It wasn’t a complete solution to the problem, of course. As they trundled south many icebergs ended up threatening the offshore oil fields so crucial to Newfoundland’s current prosperity. But, ever resourceful, Newfoundlanders became expert at managing them and working under trying conditions made even more hazardous because of their menacing presence.
The North Sea has pretty bad weather and the Bering Sea has some characteristics similar to those found here, but the biggest concern about drilling in Greenland is icebergs and they are unique to these waters; just as Newfoundlanders are unique in their ability to deal with them.
It’s ironic that those very icebergs which were viewed as a menace for so many years may have become the province’s best friends, giving Newfoundland companies the edge they need to compete against an array of international players in a setting they’ve become experts at not just surviving, but thriving, in – the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean.
