A Norwegian Sailor has won a major award for his account of climate change on the island of Svalbard, in the Arctic Ocean, where he has seen many changes first hand having sailed there regularly during the past decade.

Published 2 years ago

Source:  Afloat.ie

Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, located on top of the world, roughly midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole.  Glaciers on Svalbard have retreated more than a kilometre in 12 years, at a rate of more than 100m a year.

Norwegian sailor Jon Amtrup has witnessed the changes first hand, having sailed to Svalbard regularly over more than a decade.  His article  – The Icy Sound of Climate Change – was the judges’ first choice in Yachting Monthly’s Brian Black Memorial Award 2022, which seeks to promote and encourage adventurous sailors to explore environmental issues and to document them in writing and photos.  The article can be read at: www.yachtingmonthly.com/brianblackwinner

His evocative account of the desolate beauty and incredible wildlife of the island demonstrates a deep love for this landscape but puts it in stark contrast with the global effects of climate change, as well as the local effects of mass tourism, oil exploration and other threats to the environment.

Jon was awarded a prize of £2,500, thanks to sponsorship of the award by marine electronics company B&G, as well as a trophy of a barometer and clock mounted on hand-crafted elm wood by Les Silkowski. The award also included a donation of £1,500 to UK-based marine conservation charity Sea-Changers.

The judges, including Dee Caffari and Mike Golding, chose Jon’s as the winning article because of its clear communication of the biggest environmental challenge of our time, seen through the lens of one small island group. The writing was beautiful, brought to life by the stunning photographs of crew member James Austrums.

Jon Amtrup said: “I am truly honoured to receive the Brian Black Memorial Award. The severe threat that climate change poses to the ocean is something I have focused on for a long time. The climate in the Arctic is changing way faster than the rest of the world. Winning the award encourages me to keep going with my work documenting this area, and the money will go towards Gate to the Arctic to help educate young people about how they can make a difference.”

Runners up prizes were awarded to Niklas Sandström for his article ‘The Beautiful Baltic’ about the impact of pollution in the Baltic, and to Tobias Carter for ‘The Arctic is Changing Colour’ about his scientific expedition from France to Greenland.  These articles will be published in Yachting Monthly and on www.yachtingmonthly.com during 2023.

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About the Brian Black Memorial Award

The Brian Black Memorial Award was established in 2021 to commemorate the lives of Brian and his wife Lesley Black.

Brian was a lifelong sailor, a television journalist for RTE in Ireland, UTV in Northern Ireland, and later through his own production company. He was also a passionate advocate for the marine environment, writing and filmmaking about the crises facing fragile Arctic ecosystems. His wife Lesley blazed a trail for women in sailing, becoming the first female yacht club commodore in Northern Ireland, and was an author in her own right.

Brian and Les passed away in 2020 and 2019 respectively and the award was established by their family and Yachting Monthly in memory of them, and to encourage more sailors to use their unique access to tell stories about the environment that the world needs to hear.

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Related News:

• Brian Black Memorial Award Winner 2022 (Yachting Monthly)
  
• Arctic Sailor Wins Award for Climate Change Story (Afloat.ie)
  
• Entries Open for Brian Black Memorial Award (Noonsite March 2022)
  

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Related Links:

• Yachting Monthly
  
• Ocean Cruising Club
  
• Afloat.ie