Shipping Trends in Tallurutiup Imanga (Lancaster Sound), Nunavut from 1990 to 2018

Abstract

This study involved in-depth examination of the past and present shipping activities across Tallurutiup Imanga (Lancaster Sound), Nunavut, Canada from 1990 to 2018. Marine traffic increased dramatically over the 29-year period examined in the study. The total distance travelled by all vessels almost tripled between 1990 (51,584 km) and 2018 (142,111 km), with a notably steep increase in distance between 2009 (61,783 km) and 2014 (104,098 km); furthermore, the distance travelled by some vessel types increased considerably more than others (e.g., pleasure crafts, passenger ships, and general cargo). The spatial concentration of ship traffic in Tallurutiup Imanga has been relatively consistent over time, with most vessels travelling in the middle of the channel as well as branching off to the five surrounding communities and to the Mary River Mine which is accessed through Milne Inlet. However, some changes in intensity and distribution are evident within certain vessel types. Notably, pleasure crafts and passenger ships are substantially more concentrated in routes on the way to communities as well as around Beechy Island on the southwestern tip of Devon Island. The overall spatial change in vessel traffic within 50 kilometres of each of the five communities varies quite a bit; however, it is noteworthy that the community of Pond Inlet, a community in the heart of the Tallurutiup Imanga region, has seen the greatest increase in vessel traffic compared to Canadian Arctic communities across all of Inuit Nunangat.