Russian environmentalists want park status for Arctic island
Environmentalists want the remote Arctic island to become national park.
«We have reached a principal agreement about the establishment of a national park in Vaigach», leader of WWF Russia Igor Chestin said after an expedition to the island this month. Also leader of the Nenets Autononous Okrug, Igor Koshin, and representatives of the federal Ministry of Natural Resources were part of the trip, WWF informs.
According to Chestin, the formal establishment of the park can be completed within the next two years. Currently, Vaigach is included in a more lenient regional protection regime.
Developing tourism
At least 15 jobs are believed to be created on the island in connection with the park establishment. There are about 100 people living on the island, most of them in the village of Varneka.
The environmentalists believe the national park will facilitate the development of local tourism. Visitors can get acquainted with the rich local fauna and learn about the traditional lifestyle of the Nenets people, Igor Chestin argues.
Both the regional authorities and the federal government support the idea, the Nenets AO government informs.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: New national park planned in Canada’s High Arctic, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Arctic parks among most visited in Finland, Yle News
Norway: Surfing in the Arctic, Barents Observer
Russia: Creating links across the Arctic – A look back on the Beringia Arctic Games, Eye on the Arctic
United States: Fish show traces of banned pesticides in some Alaska parks, Alaska Dispatch
