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 Swedish part, upstream, 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.
