Andrew Raven
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 17/05) - Prime Minister Paul Martin spoke out against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve last week, calling the controversial proposal a "risk" to Canadian aboriginals.

"Canada and the United States have a mutual obligation to the fragile ecosystem of the North," Martin said in a recent speech to the Economic Club of New York. "It must be nurtured not despoiled."

The U.S. Congress will vote this fall on a bill that would allow oil companies to drill in the 19-million-acre refuge, located on the Northeastern corner of Alaska.

The plan has been roundly criticized by environmentalists and aboriginal groups. Some believe the drilling could have a devastating effect on the Porcupine Caribou herd - a staple for Gwich'in in the Northwest Territories, the Yukon and Alaska.

"Drilling in ANWR puts both wildlife and the Gwich'in culture at risk," Martin said.

Martin pointed to a 1987 agreement between Canada and the United States which bars both countries from actions that could affect the herd or its habitat.

"We argue the limits of that specific agreement but surely the underlying principle - that of shared stewardship - is one that we should recognize," Martin said, noting that he understands the American "impulse" to secure oil reserves, but the fuel under the refuge would only flow for so long.

"If you're looking for a long-term solution, this isn't it," he said. "In Canada's view, it is simply not worth the risk."