Traffic in the Dickson fjord is discouraged

The Government of Greenland advises against traffic in Dickson Fjord west of Ella Ø. The Government of Greenland considers the entire National Park in North and East Greenland to be a dangerous place to go, where extra caution should be exercised when travelling.

On 16 September 2023, a landslide occurred in Dickson Fjord in the National Park in North and East Greenland. The landslide triggered a tsunami, which for nine days caused violent waves in the area. 

Fortunately, there was no personal injury, only material damage. The run-up height near the landslide was reportedly 200 meters and a few kilometers west of the landslide up to 80 meters. 

The Arctic Command estimates that the wave height at Ella Island has been about 5 meters. The incident gave rise to the Emergency Management Commission assessing the safety of activities in Dickson Fjord. There are currently doubts about the stability of the back wall of the mountain section that landed in 2023. 

The Emergency Management Commission has therefore recommended that the Government of Greenland advise against traffic in Dickson Fjord west of Ella Ø.

On the recommendation of the Emergency Management Commission, the Government of Greenland now considers the entire National Park in North and East Greenland to be a dangerous place to go. 

In the National Park in North and East Greenland, everyone should therefore exercise extra caution when travelling both on land and at sea. However, access to the National Park in North and East Greenland can still be granted.

The Government of Greenland's consideration, and the call to exercise extra caution when travelling, comes as a result of an emergency assessment from the Emergency Management Commission. In its assessment, the Emergency Management Commission emphasizes that there is a particularly increased risk when travelling in unsurveyed waters. 

The national park in North and East Greenland is also characterised by a risk of sudden changes in the weather, which both increases the risk of moving around in the area and complicates rescue operations. 

Finally, the area is deserted, and the large geographical distances mean a long response time for the rescue authorities. 

For further information about the Government of Greenland's advice against traffic in the area, contact the Ministry of Nature and Environment by e-mail: pan@nanoq.gl.