AECO guidelines presentation ― For cruise operators, expedition leaders & guides.

AECO guidelines presentation

― For cruise operators, expedition leaders & guides

Planing and preparation

Knowledge of legal provisions

Local adoptions and special considerations

Notifications / applications / communications

AECO guidelines presentation 2015


Staff

Education and training

Crew-information

Define responsibilities/plans for action

Prepare visitor information

Communicate policy to interests

Coordinate schedules



Establish incident reporting system

Ensure communication with authorities

Establish reporting system for sighting of scientific/authority interest – trip log


Pre-landing information

What to see

Safety rules

Environmental procedures

Divide into groups

Stay in groups

No disturbance – take nothing with you – leave nothing behind


Before the visit

Information to local community

Plan schedule in co-operation

Be flexible

Continuous information on deviation


Shore based activities

Regarded as protected

Do not remove anything

Leave nothing behind

Be considerate of others


Site considerations and landing plans

Avoid other ships

Plan your landing

Minimize negative consequences

Refrain from landing in melting season/wet areas

No more than 100 visitors ashore

Small groups <30

Guide to visitor 1:20

Report incidents


Considerations at military facilities

Do not visit

Closed to the public

Do not ask to visit


Search and Rescue Considerations

Limited resources

Keep contact with authorities

Report in accordance with local demands


Evaluation of planning procedures

Evaluate planning

Preparation of operation in view of responsible, environmentally-friendly and safety measures – with the of improving operations and/or guidelines


Zodiac operations

Adequate equipment

Capacity

At least two zodiacs together

Life west

Dead man string

Rifles ashore first

Drivers competence


Zodiac driving procedures

Slow down by birds and animals

Avoid sudden and repeated changes in direction

Research information about condition

Reconnaissance if necessary – without passengers


Zodiac passengers handling procedures

Mandatory briefing

Demonstrations

Life vest properly on

Sailors’ grip

Designated seats

Balance the boat

Remain seated

Secure equipment


Ice, Glaciers and Iceberg

Drift ice challenges

Keep distance to glacier fronts

Icebergs are potentially unstable

Calving or rolling may cause waves

The use of laser range finders is recommended


Vildlife viewing

AECO regards all of the Arctic outside settlements as protected areas (protected species)

Non-disturbance distance

Avoid loud noise

Use AECO’s wildlife guidelines


Walrus

Information / Small groups

Change in behavior

Avoid making a half-circle around

Never take position between a walrus and the sea

Minimum buffer zone: 30 meters

Mother with calves, minimum buffer zone: 150 meters

Walrus on ice: same careful approach

Swimming walrus: potential danger


Birds ashore

Avoid landings on areas with large concentrations of nesting birds.

Keep distance from nesting birds

Dive-bombed by skuas/Arctic terns – retreat the way you came.

Waders acting hurt – retreat or follow the bird


Birds on water

Do not drive into flocks of birds sitting on the water.

Stay on the fringes of bird concentrations

Ships’ buffer zone: 100 m

Zodiacs’ buffer zone: 30 m


Bird cliffs

Keep distance

No ship siren, shooting or loud noise within 1 nm

Disturbance may cause ”pre-jumping”


Seals

Do not chase swimming seals

Change in behavior

Pups left alone

Harbor seals on haul outs – minimum buffer zone: 100 m


Whales

If whales approach - Slow down and put engines in neutral

Avoid excess engine use

Do not ”box-in” whales

Avoid sudden and repeated change of direction


Reindeer & Arctic Fox

Do not approach, follow or chase reindeer

Do not feed Arctic fox – arctic foxes are known to have had rabies and are quick to learn begging humans for food


Arctic Dogs

Potentially dangerous

Never approach or attempt to pet or feed Arctic dogs without permission and supervision from the dog owner/handler


Polar Bears

Inform your guests

Avoid confrontations

Always be vigilant

Never feed or follow – on land or in water

Never put pressure or be pressured

Take the polar bear danger seriously

It is prohibited to lure, pursue or otherwise seek out polar bears in such a way as to disturb them or expose either bears or humans to danger


In proximity of polar bears ashore

Plan ahead

Report

If low visibility – do not land

Frighten off

Never approach

Shoot to kill


Polar bears and vessels

Do not attempt to approach bears closer than 200 meters with the vessel

Small vessels must not allow bears to approach the broadside

Close portholes

Do not lean over broadside on small vessels


Polar bears and zodiacs

Keep at least 50 meters between the bear and the zodiac

Be position and at alert to leave quickly

Never follow or approach a swimming bear – from any angle


Firearms ashore

Keep overview of your group

Never let visitors walk alone

Half-load immediately

Load in risk-situation

Unload chamber when risk ends

Do not walk around with loaded chamber.

Never let guests handle your firearms


Firearms - Environment & Safety

Rifle caliber .308 Win or larger – expanding ammunition

”Personal” rifles

Training

Test your weapons

Signal guns

Never point at anyone


Firearms – Storage & Transportation

Store weapons and ammunition in lockers

Maintain and clean

Cover to protect

Never loaded or half-loaded in zodiacs


Safety hazards

Along shore

Rivers

Hidden ice

Glaciers

Weather

Visitors hiking capacity


Entanglement and Stranded Animals

Assist when possible

Take photographs

Record details

Report to the authorities


Vegetation & landscape

Do not step on flowers or plant beds

Use already established paths

Do not build cairns

Do not remove objects from dead animals


Geology

Avoid making visible trails

Thermal wells – sensitive vegetation

Do not remove fossils or stones


Historic sites & cultural remains

Svalbard sites from before 1945

100 m security zone

Stay around

Do not remove or rearrange

Non visible objects

Walk around graveyards

Do not enter old house grounds or trapping stations


Clean Up Svalbard Project

Inform guests

Beware difference between garbage and cultural remains

Unsure – do not remove

Organize in accordance to agreement


Social Interaction

Objectives

To support members in their effort to conduct respectable interaction with people and cultures, and to maximize local communities’ benefits from tourism


Cultural Understanding

Most relevant in small towns/settlement

Applies in every town or settlement

Respect local cultures

Work against prejudiced attitudes

Staff are role models – lay claim to staff members

Inform/educate guests about local history, contemporary culture, norms and values


When visiting

Research information

Never barter or import banned substances

Respect privacy

Talk to – not about

Ask before you visit areas of religious and cultural importance


When visiting

Ask before you photograph

Respect privacy (keep away from windows)

Do not alter cairns – may be signposts

If possible invite locals onboard

Encourage guests to buy local souvenirs and products but beware of CITES


Provide benefits

Use and pay for dock facilities

Use local ship agents

Purchase activities

Local guides/guides with local affiliation

Assistance/guidance in developing tourism activities


Tourism can be a great way of learning about promoting and creating tolerance between people with different backgrounds and cultures

Do not judge other cultures based on own sense of reality, norms and values

Cultures are different


Tolerance

Do not expect to findeverything as it is at home– you have lefthome to find things different

More Information

AECO‘s operational guidelines:http://www.aeco.no/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/2014-10-15-AECO-Operational-Guidelines1.doc

AECO’s guidelines for Visitors to the Arctic:English: http://www.aeco.no/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/AECO-brosjyre-p10-engl.pdfNorwegian: http://www.aeco.no/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/AECO-brosjyre-p10-norsk.pdfGerman: http://www.aeco.no/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/AECO-brosjyre-p10-tysk.pdf

AECO site guidelines - Svalbard: http://www.aeco.no/guidelines/site-guidelines/

AECO web site: www.aeco.no


AECO guidelines presentation ― For cruise operators, expedition leaders & guides.

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Transcript of AECO guidelines presentation ― For cruise operators, expedition leaders & guides.