Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR) – was established under the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS) in 1991. Now EPPR is one of six working groups under the Arctic Council (AC). EPPR is dealing with the prevention, preparedness and response to environmental emergencies in the Arctic. Presently EPPR is primarily working with: 1) Emergency Source Control Management and Spill Prevention Strategies for High Priority Risks, 2) Community Radiation Information Project Kola Region, 3) Community Radiation Information on Emergency Exercises, 4) Arctic Rescue, and 5) Updating the Environmental Risk Assessment.
Emission – the release of a substance into the atmosphere, usually a gas when referring to the climate change.
Emphasizing – to lay stress on something or to the act of giving special importance or significance to something.
Encouraging – stimulating something. Example: “Whatever happens later this year it is at least encouraging to see the high level of interest in the US Presidential hustings.” [Hustings = election proceedings].
Encroachment – something that advances beyond proper limits or an illegal intrusion. May also refer to any entry into an area not previously occupied.
Endangered (EN) – IUCN category (Red Data Book). A taxon (species or genus) is Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Endangered, and it is therefore considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. IUCN Red Data Book.
Endemic species – the species, which are native, restricted or peculiar to an area.
Endogamy – the prescribed marriage inside a given social group.
Energy pyramid – an ecological pyramid, which indicates the total amount of energy present in each trophic level. It also shows the loss of energy from one trophic level to the next.
Energy sources – consist of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas), nuclear (fission and fusion), renewable (solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and hydro).
Enforcement – to support a demand, claim, right, etc. by force. Example: “Indigenous peoples have the right to the recognition, observance and enforcement of treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements concluded with States or their successors and to have States honour and respect such treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements.”
Entrepreneur – any owner of capital who is engaged in the management of an enterprise for the sale of goods or services for profit.
Environment – all the conditions, circumstances, and influences surrounding, and affecting the development of an organism or group of organisms.
Environmental depletion – the process in which the stocks of available physical and economic resources tend to run down or become degraded as the result of processes such as mining, industrial pollution, intensification of agriculture and the like.
Environmental impact – any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from an activity.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) – an assessment of the likely positive and/or negative influence a project may have on the environment. EIA can be defined as “the process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating the biophysical, social, and other relevant effects of development proposals prior to major decisions being taken and commitments made.” The purpose of the EIA is to ensure that decision-makers consider environmental impacts before deciding whether to proceed with new projects.
Environmentalist – a person working to solve environmental problems, such as air and water pollution and the exhaustion of natural resources etc.
EPA – Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
EPPR Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR).
Equidistant – is equally distant. The Equidistant line is also called the Midway line, which is a possible solution when fishing limits on 200 nautical miles cannot be used due to distances less than 400 nautical miles between two countries.
Equitable – something that is fair or reasonable. Example: “Indigenous peoples have the right to redress, by means that can include restitution or, when this is not possible, just, fair and equitable compensation, for the lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned or otherwise occupied or used, and which have been confiscated, taken, occupied, used or damaged without their free, prior and informed consent”.
ESA – European Space Agency (ESA).
Eskimo – a historically used term referring to indigenous Inuit peoples of Greenland, North America and Chukotka. The term derives from the Algonquin word for “eaters of rawmeat”. The term Eskimo is to day not much in use in Canada and Greenland, but is widely used in Alaska, like in “Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC)”. Inuit.
Eskimo kiss – a non-erotic form of greeting by rubbing noses when meeting each other. It serves the same role as shaking hands.
Eskimo-Aleut languages – originally it was one language family that was spoken in pre-historic times around the Bering Strait. To day it consists of two distinct language groups, the Aleut and Eskimo languages. The Aleut language is to day consisting of two dialects, a Western spoken by approximately 60 persons and an Eastern spoken by approximately 400 persons, on the Aleutian Islands of U.S.A. and Russia. The Eskimo language is divided into two sub branches Yupik and Inuit. The Yupik sub branch is divided into four: 1) Central Alaskan Yupik (spoken by approx. 10,000 persons in Southwest Alaska), 2) Alutiiq (spoken by approx. 400 persons along the Pacific coast of Alaska), 3) Central Siberian Yupik or Yuit (spoken by approx. 1,400 persons in Chukotka and on St. Lawrence Island), 4) Naukan (spoken by approx. 70 persons in East Cape, the Northeastern most point of the Russian Far East). The Inuit languages and dialects are spoken from the Seward Peninsula in Alaska to East Greenland. The three main languages are Inupiaq spoken by approx. 3,500 persons in Alaska, Inuktitut spoken by approx. 30,000 persons in Canada, and Kalaallisut spoken by approx. 50,000 persons in Greenland. In Greenland the Inughuit in North Greenland and the Tunumiut in East Greenland have distinct dialects. Common to the languages are that they are polysynthetic (languages with more than one morpheme).
Eskimosy – the Russian term for the Inuit or Eskimos of the Chukotsky avtonomny okrug, the autonomous district of Chukotka. The estimated population is 1,700.
Ethics – the system or code of morals of a particular person, religion, group, profession, etc.
Ethnic – a heterogeneous population, as distinguished by customs, characteristics, language, common history, etc.
Ethnocentrism – the emotional attitude that one’s own ethnic group, nation or culture is superior to all others.
Ethnocide Genocide.
Ethnography – the direct observation of a small society or organisation etc., and the written description produced.
Ethology – the scientific study of animal behaviour.
EU European Union (EU).
EU’s Trap Replacement Programme – a EU (EEC) regulation no 3254 of 1991. Should have been effective in 1995 but has been postponed twice. The regulation will restrict the importation of 13 species of wild caught fur. The EU has allocated funds for the purpose of helping the Indigenous trappers in the upcoming trap replacement programme.
Eurasians – are people of European and Asian origin.
EURATOM – European Atomic Energy Commission (EURATOM). EURATOM is a EU body that promotes peaceful ways of using nuclear energy.
European Bureau for Conservation and Development (EBCD) – a NGO, established in 1989, that provides research and information services to promote responsible conservation principles. EBCD is placed in Brussels where, among other things it performs lobbying activities at the EU.
European Commission – the bureaucracy of the European Union (EU). The headquarters is situated in Brussels.
European Community / Greenland – unlike the Faroe Islands, Greenland became a member of the European Community (EC) when Denmark joined the EC in 1973. The Faroe Islands had a Home Rule, Greenland not. When Greenland achieved Home Rule in 1979 the “Anisa”, a group of political parties and organisations cooperated on leaving the EC, and a referendum in 1982 on continued membership of the EC, turned out in favour of Greenland leaving the EC on February 1st 1985. Since then Greenland has had special fishing arrangements under its association with the EC. These arrangements are set out in the Protocol on Greenland attached to the EC Treaty and in a Fishing Agreement and its implementing protocols.
European Court of Justice - the court judges in cases that involves member states of the European Union (EU). The court is based in Luxembourg.
European Economic Area (EEA) – is an agreement from 1994 between the three member states of European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the European Community (EC), and all member states of the European Union (EU). It allows these EFTA countries to participate in the European Single Market without joining the EU.
European Environmental Bureau(EEB) – the EEB is a federation of more than 140 environmental NGO’s based in all EU Member States and most Accession Countries, as well as in a few neighbouring countries. These organisations range from local and national, to European and international. The aim of the EEB is to protect and improve the environment of Europe and to enable the citizens of Europe to play their part in achieving that goal. In the summer of 1993 the EEB announced the withdrawal of its environmental honorary prize to Mrs. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Prime Minister of Norway, because of Norway’s whaling policy.
European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – the EFTA Convention established a free trade area among its Member States in 1960. Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are members of EFTA. In addition, the EFTA States have jointly concluded free trade agreements with a number of countries worldwide.
European Investment Bank(EIB) – a non-profit EU organisation that invests in projects that helps development of the Union. The bank is based in Luxembourg.
European Monetary System – EU financial system with the aim of stabilising and harmonising the European currencies.
European Parliament – the representative assembly of the EU. The Parliament is composed of 785 members (MEP) from the member states. The parliament is situated in Brussels, Belgium and Strasbourg, France. Greenland had an MEP, Finn Lynge, as long as Greenland was member of the EEC.
European Union (EU) – a political and economic community of twenty-seven European member states that counts almost 500 million citizens. EU traces its origin to the European Economic Community (EEC) formed in 1957 by the Treaty of Rome among six European countries. Since then the EU has grown in size through the accession of new member states and has increased its powers by the addition of new policy areas to its remit. The EU creates a single market by a system of laws, which apply in all member states, guaranteeing the freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital. It maintains a common trade policy, agricultural and fisheries policies, and a regional development policy. In 1999 the EU introduced a common currency, the euro, which has been adopted by fifteen member states. It has also developed a role in foreign policy, and in justice and home affairs. Passport control between many member states has been abolished under the Schengen Agreement. Important institutions of the EU include the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the European Court of Justice and the European Central Bank. Northern Dimension of the European Union
European Union / Indigenous peoples – is a fairly new affair, since it only dates back to March 1997, where the Development Co-operation Group for the first time had the issue indigenous peoples on their Agenda. A policy paper was presented on June 5, 1997. The year later in March 1998, the EC had invited 30 indigenous experts to Brussels to discuss the draft Document. The Workshop on Indigenous Peoples and Development Co-operation, Brussels 1998 was co-organised with the Saami Council (SC) and the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC). The ICC and the SC chaired a preparatory session where only indigenous experts were present. The EC Document was prepared by active participation of indigenous peoples. The Document was adopted on November 30, 1998 by the Council Resolution on Indigenous Peoples within the Framework of the Development Co-operation of the Community and Members States.
Evolution – any process of formation, growth or development. In biology defined as “the continuous genetic adaptation of organisms or species to the environment by the integrating agencies of selection, hybridization, inbreeding and mutation.”
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) – according to United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), coastal states are given jurisdiction over all living resources within their 200-mile EEZ. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Exogamy – the prescribed marriage outside a given social group.
Exoticism – has been defined as “the charm of the unfamiliar” or “the representation of one culture for consumption by another.” The most common use of the term exotic is by Europeansabout someone or something coming from Asia, but it may as well be related to other cultures.
Exploitation – any kind of utilisation for profit.
Exposure – the nature and degree to which a region, community, etc. is exposed to significant climatic variations.
Ex-situ conservation – means the conservation of components of biological diversity outside their natural habitats.
Extension – to postpone something or to make something longer, stretch it out or expanding it. Example: “The present study would follow up previous work by resembling the same polar bear subpopulations with the help of polar bear biologists and hunters in circumpolar countries, with extension to populations in the Russian Arctic.”
Extinct (EX) – an IUCN category (Red Data Book). A taxon (species or genus) is Extinct when there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. A taxon is presumed Extinct when exhaustive surveys in known and/or expected habitat, at appropriate times (diurnal, seasonal, annual), throughout its historic range have failed to record an individual. Surveys should be over a time frame appropriate to the taxon's life cycle and life form. IUCN Red Data Book.
Extinct in the Wild (EW) – IUCN category (Red Data Book). A taxon (species or genus) is Extinct in the Wild when it is known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalized population (or populations) well outside the past range. A taxon is presumed Extinct in the Wild when exhaustive surveys in known and/or expected habitat, at appropriate times (diurnal, seasonal, annual), throughout its historic range have failed to record an individual. Surveys should be over a time frame appropriate to the taxon's life cycle and life form. IUCN Red Data Book.
F
Famine – a widespread food shortages leading to starvation and a high death rates within a given population.
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Faroe Islands – in the Faroese language the islands are called Føroyar, which means the “Sheep Islands”. The Faroe Islands are an island group consisting of 18 small islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Faroe Islands have Home Rule since they became an autonomous province of Denmark in 1948. There are approximately 48,000 inhabitants on the islands, which main income is through fisheries and sheep farming. The capitol is Thórshavn.
Faroe Islands Home Rule - was established in 1948. The Home Rule Act states: 1) “Within the framework of this Act the Faroe Islands shall constitute a self-governing community within the State of Denmark. In conformity herewith the Faroese people, through its elected representatives, the “Løgting” and an Executive established by the Latter, the “Landsstyrid” takes over, within the unity of the Realm, the administration and government of Faroese affairs as indicated in this Act.” 2) “The matters and fields of administration specified in the appended list shall, in principle, be regarded as special Faroese concerns. The Faroese Home Government (the bodies referred to in the second sentence of section 1) can decide that all or some of these matters and fields of administration shall at once be transferred to the Home Government with the consequence that the latter will take over the expenses involved. With the same consequence, the Home Government may decide later that such matters and fields of administration specified in the list as are not transferred at once, shall be transferred to the Home Government. In like manner the Home Government is under obligation to take over matters and fields of administration specified in the list when the national authorities so desire.”
Fast ice – the sea ice extending out from the coast.
Fauna – the total animal life of an area, a region or a geological period.
FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation (U.S.A.)
Federation – a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central or federal government. Federations usually cover a large geographical area and may multi-ethnic. Canada, Russia and the U.S.A. are federations.
Fetus – an unborn human or animal that is still developing in the mother.
Fieldwork – research of real life situations carried out in the field.
Finnish Initiative – also known as the Rovaniemi Process. Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS).
Fiord – or fjord is an abrupt opening in the coastline admitting the sea. Another definition is a long, narrow arm of the sea, often very deep and extending well inland.
Firn – snow that has survived the summer melting season, and converts into glacial ice.
Firn line – the line on a glacier, which marks the upper limit to where winter snow melts during the summer. On many glaciers it separates hard and blue ice below from snow above.
Firn wind – a downhill glacial wind, usually in the summertime.
First Nations – the term usually used by Aboriginal or indigenous people in Canada to describe themselves, and may sometimes include the Métis and Inuit.
First World – is another term for countries with advanced, industrialized economies. This term is fading from use, and replaced by Developed Countries (DCs).
Fish names of the most common species in Latin and English:Acipenser – Sturgeon; Ammodytes dubius – Northern sand lance; Ammodytes marinus – Sandeel; Anarhichas denticulatus – Jelly cat; Anarhichas lupus – Atlantic wolf fish; Anarhichas minor – Spotted wolf fish; Anguilla rostrata – American eel; Bathyraja spinicauda – Spinytail skate; Boreogadus saida - Arctic cod or Polar cod; Catostomus catostomus – Longnose sucker; Clupea harengus – Herring; Coregonus artedii – Cisco or Lake herring; Coregonus autumnalis – Arctic cisco; Coregonus clupeaformis – Lake whitefish or Humpback whitefish; Coregonus laurettae – Bering cisco; Coregonus nasus – Broad whitefish; Coregonus sardinella – Least cisco; Coryphaenoides rupestris – Roundnosed grenadier; Cyclopterus lumpus – Lumpfish; Dallia pectoralis – Alaska blackfish; Eleginus gracilis – Saffron cod; Esox lucius – Northern pike; Eumicrotremus spinosus – Atlantic spiny lumpsucker; Gadus macrocephalus – Pacific cod; Gadus morhua – Atlantic cod; Gadus ogac – Greenland cod; Gasterosteus aculeatus – Three-spined stickleback; Glyptocephalus cynoglossus – Witch flounder; Hippoglossoides platessoides – American plaice, Long-rough dab or Sanddab; Hippoglossus hippoglossus – Atlantic halibut; Lota lota – Burbot or Lush; Macrourus berglax – Boreal grenadier; Mallotus villosus – Capelin; Melanogrammus aeglefinus – Haddock; Microgadus proximus – Pacific tomcod; Myoxocephalus quadricornis – Fourhorned sculpin; Myoxocephalus scorpius – Sculpin or Bull-rout; Oncorhynchus gorbuscha – Pink salmon, Humpback salmon; Oncorhynchus keta – Chum salmon or Dog salmon; Oncorhynchus kisutch – Coho salmon or Silver salmon; Oncorhynchus nerka – Sockeye, Kokanee or Red salmon; Oncorhynchus tshawytscha – Chinook, Spring salmon or King salmon; Osmerus mordax – Smelt; Pleuronectes platessa – Plaice; Pollachius virens – Pollack; Prosopium cylindraceum – Round whitefish; Raja fyllae – Fyllas ray; Raja hyperborean – Arctic skate; Raja radiata – Thorny skate or Starry ray; Reinhardtius hippoglossoides – Greenland halibut; Salmo gairdneri – Rainbow or Steelhead trout; Salmo salar – Atlantic salmon; Salmo trutta – Brown salmon; Salvelinus alpinus – Arctic char; Salvelinus fontinalis – Brook or Speckled trout; Salvelinus namaycush – Lake trout or Lake char; Sebastes marinus – Atlantic redfish or Ocean perch; Somniosus microcephalus – Greenland shark; Squalus acanthias – Spiny dogfish; Stenodus leucichthys – Inconnu or Sheefish; Thymallus arcticus – Arctic grayling.
Fishing limits – most countries extended their fishing limits to 200 nautical miles (376,6 kilometres) in the 1970’s.
Fjord – or fiord is an abrupt opening in the coastline admitting the sea. Another definition is a long, narrow arm of the sea, often very deep and extending well inland.
Flora – the total number of plant species that make up the vegetation of a given area.
Fluke – the tail fin of a whale.
Foehn wind – a warm dry wind descending a mountain or a glacier.
Fogbows – the similar to the phenomena of rainbows, but fogbows have little colour because of the very small size of the water droplets.
Folketinget – the Danish Parliament.
Folklore – the word consists of the two words. “Folk” (a group of people) and “lore” (creative expressions). Folklore is the expressive body of a culture, which may include myths, legends, oral history, music and dance, etc.