For several years now, Jerry Natanine, mayor of Clyde River in Nunavut, Canada, has fought to keep the oil industry away from his remote community. Companies want to use seismic testing to verify big oil deposits which would scare and potentially harm nearby marine mammals.
Clyde River falls on what many believe to be the epicenter of big oil deposits, on the Canadian side of Baffin Bay and Davis Strait. A handful of Norwegian-based companies were granted permission to explore the site using seismic testing with high-powered air guns. The shots produce frequent pulses of very loud sounds in the water. This method poses potential harm to surrounding marine animals such as seals, narwhals, whales and fish.
From protests to federal court requests, Natanine has become a very loud voice in an extremely small place. But he’s certainly not alone in the fight. Regional Inuit groups strongly oppose the testing and have joined hands with other activists in band together to against the practice.
Early on in their efforts in June 2014, the National Energy Board (NEB) approved a five-year application for seismic testing from a group of energy companies. As the community rallied, the group delayed the start of their project. Companies delayed again in May 2015 after Natanine appealed a federal court for an injunction to prevent the companies from moving forward.