12/01/2005– Norway’s largest
electricity company, Statkraft, is set to
destroy the country's last, great unprotected
river if plans to dam the Vefsna River are
approved, according to WWF.
Statkraft plans to dam the Vefsna River
and drill giant tunnels to drain it for
hydropower development in northern Norway.
According to WWF, the development poses
a serious threat to wildlife and will have
a negative impact on the lives of indigenous
populations.
The Vefsna is a paradise for anglers with
its large populations of sea trout and inland
trout, and is the second largest spawning
area in Norway for the threatened wild Atlantic
salmon.
The hydropower plant may also affect local
populations of the endangered Arctic fox
— only 120 remain in Scandanavia, with some
50 left in Norway — and endanger traditional
Sami reindeer herding grounds. Furthermore,
the drilling operations, which produce seven
million cubic tonnes of rubble, would be
dumped locally in pristine wilderness areas.
“This hydropower project will suck the
life out of the Vefsna, robbing it of almost
all of its natural water flow in pristine
sections of the river, with serious impacts
on people and nature,” said Rasmus Hansson,
head of WWF-Norway.
“The Norwegian government must say no to
Statkraft and give greater protection to
this mighty river.”
On February 1st, the Norwegian parliament
will decide on whether to protect the Vefsna.
If protection is approved, the Norwegian
part of the river will obtain the same status
as the upstream Swedish part, which is protected
under the EU Natura 2000 programme. If approved,
Statkraft would not be able to go ahead
with its hydropower project.
WWF calls on Norway’s parliament to follow
EU standards and protect the Vefsna River
immediately.
“Norway benefits from being a member of
the European Economic Area (EEA), allowing
Norwegian companies access to the EU internal
market, yet it has a pick-and-choose policy
when it comes to European environmental
legislation,” says Rasmus Reinvang, WWF-Norway’s
EEA advisor.
“Statfkraft and the Norwegian government
should not be able to sell power to European
countries while ignoring European environmental
law.”
WWF calls on Statkraft to drop its hydropower
plans and make the switch to renewable energy
sources such as wind and solar energy. WWF
believes that it is about time Norway understood
that with its wealth comes responsibility
to protect its nature.
A year ago, the Norwegian government failed
in its attempt to open the biologically
diverse Lofoten Islands to oil development,
following an international campaign led
by WWF.
NOTES:
1. EU Natura 2000 programme conserves Europe’s
most threatened and valuable nature.
2. The Norwegian government’s own environmental
specialists believe that the Vefsna should
be protected and gave the river a top rating
in a recent survey looking at the cultural,
biological, fishing, and recreational value
of the country’s rivers.
3. The economic potential of a protected
Vefsna is estimated to be more than €7.5
million annually, supporting a wide range
of local livelihoods.
4. The Vefsna is the only river of the
14 described by the Nordic council as 'precious'
and that is still unprotected.
