The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at a new map of Alexander Island, a new Canadian inuit-owned fishing vessel, and a new viral threat for Arctic foxes on Svalbard.
The Polar Retrospective is a collaborative effort by the editorial team of polarjournal.net. Each writer chooses a topic they found interesting and important in the past week. The initials at the end of each section indicate the author. We hope you enjoy it.
New Mapping of Alexander Island
Alexander Island, the largest island in Antarctica, has just received its first comprehensive cartographic update in forty years. Produced by the Mapping and Geographic Information Centre (MAGIC) at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), two new maps, one topographic and one geological, offer a clearer, more detailed picture of this remote and shifting region.
Located off the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, Alexander Island is the second-largest uninhabited island in the world. It is bordered by the Wilkins and George VI ice shelves, both of which have retreated significantly in recent years due to climate change. The ice bridge that once connected the Wilkins Ice Shelf to Charcot Island finally collapsed in 2009, highlighting the accelerating loss of ice in the area.
Mapped at a 1:500,000 scale, the new charts provide unprecedented detail: contours, elevations, ice coverage, place names, and rock outcrops. They also revise the island’s topographical records, Mount Hall, previously underestimated, is now confirmed as the highest peak at 3 078 metres, overtaking Mount Stephenson (2,944 m), thanks to recent satellite data.
On the geological front, the work compiles decades of research, from the first observations in 1936 to over fifty field expeditions carried out between the 1960s and 1990s. This new geological map makes it possible, for the first time, to link the geological history of Alexander Island with that of the broader West Antarctic region.
Mapping Alexander Island is not just a technical achievement. It is also a response to the challenges posed by a volatile polar environment. As the ice recedes and the landscape shifts, measuring becomes an act of awareness. A necessary step to anticipate and adapt to the scientific and environmental realities of tomorrow. M.B.
New Inuit-owned vessel to boost Arctic fisheries
Baffin Fisheries, an Inuit-owned company, has christened its new factory freezer trawler, the Inuksuk II, in a ceremony in Iqaluit. The vessel is being hailed as the largest Canadian-owned fishing vessel in the country. The 80-meter-long ship was built at a cost of $72 million and can carry up to 1,300 tonnes of frozen-at-sea turbot or 930 tonnes of shrimp.
The Inuksuk II represents a significant investment for Baffin Fisheries, which is owned by the Hunters and Trappers Associations of five Nunavut communities: Pangnirtung, Iqaluit, Clyde River, Kimmirut, and Pond Inlet. All profits from the company are distributed as royalties to members of these communities.
Company officials say the new, larger vessel will be more efficient than its predecessor, requiring fewer trips to port, and is expected to create more jobs for Inuit. The Inuksuk II will fish for turbot and shrimp in Arctic waters, offloading its catch in Newfoundland. The christening ceremony was attended by people from all five of the owner communities, who were able to see the state-of-the-art vessel up close. M.W.
Avian flu makes jumps to Arctic foxes on Svalbard
The list of mammals in Svalbard affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues to grow. Following the detection of the virus in a walrus in 2023, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute has now confirmed the H5N5 subtype in four Arctic fox pups. The sick pups were discovered near the Russian settlement of Barentsburg in late July 2025.
This marks the first time the virus has been found in Arctic foxes in Norway. It is believed the foxes, being natural scavengers, contracted the disease by feeding on the carcasses of infected birds. HPAI has been circulating among Svalbard’s wild bird populations for several years.
The development is causing concern among scientists and local authorities. The clinical signs of avian flu in foxes, which can include neurological symptoms like circling and paralysis, bear a striking resemblance to rabies. This creates a diagnostic challenge and increases the risk for humans who might come into contact with sick animals.
The Governor of Svalbard has issued warnings, urging the public to report any sick or dead animals and to maintain a safe distance. Meanwhile, scientists are conducting whole-genome sequencing on the virus samples from the foxes to determine if the virus shows signs of adapting to mammalian hosts, a development that could have serious implications for the Arctic ecosystem. M.W.