As cruise ship traffic in northern latitudes increases, Norway becomes increasingly dependent on Russian rescue preparedness, should a major ship accident occur along its northern coast, the daily newspaper Klassekampen reported.
This summer, 108 cruise ships will call at North Cape in Finnmark County, the largest of them having as many as 3,000 passengers. Over the same period, the Svalbard archipelago is looking forward to hosting 21 overseas cruise ships, with the largest of them having over 5,000 passengers. In addition, a number of smaller cruise ships are expected to visit to the Arctic, of which a handful will go farther north than Svalbard.
"Preparedness has improved over the last 30 years, drills are held and plans are made. But at the same time, the cruise traffic has also increased a lot, the ships have grown larger and they are going farther north", Sølve Tanke Hovden, a rescue inspector and former Coast Guard officer with decades of experience and the author of two books on emergency preparations, told Klassekampen.
READ MORE: WATCH Rescue Op as Viking Sky Cruise Ship Hauled off Norway's Coast
A major shipwreck or a ship fire in northern Norway is considered the worst-case scenario by local authorities, given the lack of resources.
"We have limited resources, and are dependent on external help", chief of Troms and Finnmark county preparedness service Ronny Schjelderup told Klassekampen.
Today there is a single rescue helicopter ready in Lakselv in Finnmark, as well as civil helicopters in Hammerfest, however the latter are associated with the oil industry. The Coast Guard will soon receive three new helicopter-carrying vessels, but has experienced problems with the helicopters themselves, as the delivery of NH-90 helicopters has already been delayed by a decade. Furthermore, the Armed Forces are transferring most of their Bell helicopters from Troms to a new base in southern Norway.
Should an accident occur, the local authorities are therefore not optimistic.
"In our risk and vulnerability analysis, a major ship accident is the worst thing that can possibly happen. Then we have a serious problem, there's no point in concealing it", Schjelderup stated, stressing limited resources, large distances and bad weather as the biggest challenges.
Finnmark will therefore need assistance, especially from Russia, which has plenty of large helicopters on bases on the Kola Peninsula. While Norway has rescue agreements with all of its neighbour states, helicopters and rescue equipment from Russia will play a central role, Klassekampen concluded.
READ MORE: WATCH Swaying Inside Viking Sky Cruise Ship in Storm off Norway
The past weekend, the Viking Sky cruise ship with almost 1,400 people on board was caught in a storm and ran into problems in Hustadsvika. All four of the ship's engines stopped when the power went off, and the ship almost ran aground before the crew managed to start a single motor. Rescue helicopters evacuated nearly 500 passengers.
Passengers from #VikingSky are received by #RødeKors on arrival #Hustadvika evacuation centre. They receive dry clothes, blankets and first aid. We see bruising, broken bones, and cuts. Many need a hand to hold, a shoulder to lean on, someone to talk to. https://t.co/87I9J5L60x pic.twitter.com/fBiob0vyeY
— Norges Røde Kors (@rodekorsnorge) 24 марта 2019 г.
