Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment Report, 2009

194 Pages·2009·25.15 MB·English

Arctic Council
Arctic Marine Shipping
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NORWEGIAN CHAIRMANSHIP
2006-2009
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Arctic Council
Arctic Marine Shipping
Assessment 2009 Report
Guide to Acronyms and Abbreviations
ACRONYM DEFINITION MF medium frequency
ACIA Arctic Climate Impact Assessment MMT million metric ton
AIS Automatic Identification System MPA marine protected area
AMAP Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme NEP Northeast Passage
(Arctic Council working group) NGO non-governmental organization
AMSA Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment nm nautical mile
AMVER Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (U.S.)
ARCOP Arctic Operational Platform NOx nitrogen oxide
ATON Aid to Navigation NSR Northern Sea Route
AWPPA Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act (Canada) NWP Northwest Passage
CCG Canadian Coast Guard PAME Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment
CFC chlorofluorocarbon (Arctic Council working group)
CH4 methane POP persistent organic pollutant
CNIIMF Central Marine Research & Design Institute ppm parts per million
(Russian Federation) PSSA Particularly Sensitive Sea Area
CO carbon monoxide RACON radar beacon
CO2 carbon dioxide RORO roll on, roll off (type of cargo ship)
COLREG Convention on the International Regulations SAR search and rescue
for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 shp shaft horsepower
DEW Distant Early Warning Line SOLAS International Convention on Safety of Life at Sea, 1974
DWT deadweight tonnage SOx sulfur oxide
ECDIS Electronic Chart Display and Information System STCW International Convention on Standards of Training,
EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978
EPPR Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and TDW tonnage draft weight
Response (Arctic Council working group) TEU twenty-foot equivalent (measure used in container
EU European Union shipping)
GCM Global Climate Model UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982
GHG greenhouse gas USCG United States Coast Guard
GIS Geographic Information System VHF very high frequency
GPS Global Positioning System VTS Vessel Traffic Service
HF high frequency WMO World Meteorological Organization
IAATO International Association of Antarctic Tour
Operators
IACS International Association of Classification
Societies
ICC Inuit Circumpolar Conference
IHO International Hydrographic Organization
IMO International Maritime Organization
INSROP International Northern Sea Route Programme
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
kW kilowatt (1,000 watts)
LME Large Marine Ecosystem
LNG liquefied natural gas
LPG liquefied petroleum gas
M/V Motor Vessel
MARPOL 73/78 International Convention for the Prevention
of Pollution from Ships, 1973 as Modified by
the Protocol of 1978 Relating Thereto
Table of Contents
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C H 2 Executive Summary with Recommendations
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A G 16 Arctic Marine Geography, Climate and Sea Ice
35 Findings
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49 Findings
50 Governance of Arctic Shipping
68 Findings
70 Current Marine Use and the AMSA Shipping Database
91 Findings
92 Scenarios, Futures and Regional Futures to 2020
106 Regional Futures to 2020: Bering Strait Region
112 Regional Futures to 2020: Canadian Arctic and Northwest Passage
115 Regional Futures to 2020: Northern Sea Route and Adjacent Areas
120 Findings
122 Human Dimensions
133 Findings
134 Environmental Considerations and Impacts
143 Regional Environment Case Study: Aleutian Islands/Great Circle Route
144 Regional Environment Case Study: Barents and Kara seas
147 Regional Environment Case Study: Bering Strait
148 Regional Environment Case Study: Canadian Arctic
152 Findings
154 Arctic Marine Infrastructure
186 Findings
© Neste Shipping Oy
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AMSA Executive Summary
with Recommendations
The Arctic is undergoing extraordinary transformations The decision to conduct the AMSA followed the release in 2004 of
early in the 21st century. Natural resource develop- two relevant Arctic Council reports. First, the Arctic Climate Impact
ment, governance challenges, climate change and marine Assessment (ACIA) was a major study that received global attention
infrastructure issues are influencing current and future and reported on the rapid and severe climate change ongoing in the
marine uses of the Arctic. The Arctic Council, recognizing these criti- Arctic. One of the key findings of the ACIA was that “reduced sea ice
cal changes and issues, at the November 2004 Ministerial meeting in is very likely to increase marine transport and access to resources.”
Reykjavik, Iceland, called for the Council’s Protection of the Arctic The second report, the Arctic Marine Strategic Plan (AMSP), pre-
Marine Environment (PAME) working group to “conduct a comprehen- sented the council’s strategic goals for protecting the Arctic marine
sive Arctic marine shipping assessment as outlined under the Arctic environment. The AMSP called for future application of an ecosys-
Marine Strategic Plan (AMSP) under the guidance of Canada, Finland tems approach to the Arctic Ocean and for a comprehensive assess-
and the United States as lead countries and in collaboration with ment of Arctic marine shipping.
the Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR) working The AMSA is designed to be circumpolar in breadth and also to
group and the Permanent Participants as relevant.” The Arctic Marine consider regional and local perspectives. The assessment’s central
Shipping Assessment, or The AMSA 2009 Report, is the product of that focus is on ships: their uses of the Arctic Ocean, their potential
Arctic Ministerial decision in Reykjavik and was approved at the 2009 impacts on humans and the Arctic marine environment and their
Ministerial meeting in Tromsø. marine infrastructure requirements. The AMSA does not place a
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primary focus on determining the operational and economic viabili- All ship types are considered in the AMSA under the general topic
ties of specific marine routes within and across the Arctic Ocean. of Arctic shipping: tankers, bulk carriers, offshore supply vessels,
The AMSA, led by Canada, Finland and the United States, reached passenger ships, tug/barge combinations, fishing vessels, ferries,
out to a broad community, including the global maritime community research vessels and government and commercial icebreakers. The
consisting of shipping companies, ship designers, shipbuilders, ship result of the AMSA data survey effort produced a comprehensive esti-
classification societies, marine insurers, non-commercial partner- mate of how many ships (less naval vessels) operated in the Arctic
ships and shipping associations. With the support of the Permanent for a given year. This survey represents an historic capture of infor-
Participants (indigenous organizations) of the Arctic Council, town hall mation from the Arctic states that can be used as a long-term data-
meetings were held in selected Arctic communities in Canada, Iceland, base against which to measure future Arctic marine traffic levels. In
Norway and the United States to listen to issues and concerns about addition, more than 185 experts participated directly in the work of
future Arctic marine activity. The AMSA linked directly with experts of the AMSA. Thirteen major AMSA workshops were held from July 2006
PAME for marine environmental protection issues and overall guidance through October 2008 on a broad range of relevant topics, including
and leadership of the AMSA. Two additional Arctic Council working scenarios of future Arctic navigation, indigenous marine use, Arctic
groups were also consulted: the Emergency Prevention, Preparedness marine incidents, environmental impacts, marine infrastructure,
and Response (EPPR) working group on spill response and marine Arctic marine technology and the future of the Northern Sea Route
infrastructure requirements; and the Sustainable Development Working and adjacent seas. The AMSA workshops provided extensive informa-
Group (SDWG) on issues related to the human dimension. tion for developing the report sections.
© Fednav, Ltd.
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Synopsis of the Assessment Findings
Governance of Arctic Shipping: The Law of the Sea as reflected
in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
The AMSA 2009 Report is focused on current and future Arctic provides a fundamental framework for the governance of Arctic
marine activity. The results of this comprehensive assessment are a marine navigation and allows coastal states the right to adopt and
range of key findings linked to the main topics identified. These find- enforce non-discriminatory laws and regulations for the prevention,
ings are listed in full throughout The AMSA 2009 Report at the end reduction and control of marine pollution from vessels in ice-cov-
of each section. Presented here is a synopsis, or review, of the AMSA ered waters (Article 234). The International Maritime Organization
findings for each section. (IMO) is the competent UN agency with responsibility for issues
related to the global maritime industry. IMO has been proactive
Arctic Marine Geography, Climate and Sea Ice: Arctic sea ice in developing voluntary Guidelines for Ships Operating in Arctic
has been observed to be decreasing in extent and thickness during Ice-covered Waters, which continue to evolve. The International
the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century. Global Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has also developed
Climate Model simulations indicate a continuing retreat of sea ice, non-mandatory Unified Requirements for their members that
but also show that the winter sea ice cover will remain. There is a address ship construction standards of the Polar Classes, which are
possibility of an ice-free Arctic Ocean for a short period in summer defined in the IMO Guidelines. There are no uniform, international
perhaps as early as 2015. This would mean the disappearance of standards for ice navigators and for Arctic safety and survival for
multi-year ice, as no sea ice would survive the summer melt season. seafarers in polar conditions. And, there are no specifically tai-
It is highly plausible there will be greater marine access and longer lored, mandatory environmental standards developed by IMO for
seasons of navigation, except perhaps during winter, but not neces- vessels operating in Arctic waters. Mandatory measures, drawn up
sarily less difficult ice conditions for marine operations. in accordance with the provisions of customary international law as
reflected in UNCLOS, would be an effective way to enhance marine
History of Arctic Marine Transport: There is a long history safety and environmental protection in Arctic waters. Expanded
of Arctic marine transport conducted primarily around the ice-free Arctic marine traffic increases the possibility of, for example, intro-
periphery of the Arctic Ocean. Year-round navigation has been main- ducing alien species and pathogens from ballast water discharge
tained since 1978-79 in the ice-covered western regions of the and hull fouling.
Northern Sea Route (between the port of Dudinka on the Yenisei
River and Murmansk). Previous Arctic marine transport studies for Current Marine Use and the AMSA Shipping Database: There
the Northern Sea Route, Canadian Arctic, Alaska’s coastal seas and were approximately 6,000 individual vessels, many making multiple
other regions have significant relevance to developing any future voyages, in the Arctic region during the AMSA survey year; half of
regulatory framework for the Arctic Ocean. Most of these past stud- these were operating on the Great Circle Route in the North Pacific
ies involved public-private partnerships and close international that crosses the Aleutian Islands. Of the 6,000 vessels reported,
cooperation. approximately 1,600 were fishing vessels. Nearly all shipping in the
ARCTIC MARINE SHIPPING ASSESSMENT | AMSA ExECUTIVE SUMMARY WITH RECOMMENDATIONS 5
Arctic today is destinational, conducted for community re-supply, will likely be unevenly distributed among and within communities
marine tourism and moving natural resources out of the Arctic. and regions. Constructive and early engagement of local residents
Regions of high concentrations of Arctic marine activity occur along in planned Arctic marine development projects can help to reduce
the coasts of northwest Russia, and in the ice-free waters off Norway, negative impacts and to increase positive benefits. Importantly,
Greenland, Iceland and in the U.S. Arctic. Significant increases in many local Arctic residents today depend heavily on marine resources
cruise ships, a majority not purpose-built for Arctic waters, have for subsistence and the local economy; over-the-ice travel and boat
been observed in the summer season around Greenland within the transport allow the use of large marine areas during much of the
past decade. There have been recent marine operations in the ice- year. Such life in the Arctic is dependent on movement over the ice
covered central Arctic Ocean for scientific exploration and marine and ocean and sea ice is integral to this movement.
tourism.
Environmental Considerations and Impacts: The most sig-
Scenarios, Futures and Regional Futures to 2020: Arctic natu- nificant threat from ships to the Arctic marine environment is the
ral resource development (hydrocarbons, hard minerals and fisheries) release of oil through accidental or illegal discharge. Additional
and regional trade are the key drivers of future Arctic marine activity. potential impacts of Arctic ships include ship strikes on marine
However, there are many other factors and uncertainties of impor- mammals, the introduction of alien species, disruption of migra-
tance including governance, Arctic state cooperation, oil prices, tory patterns of marine mammals and anthropogenic noise produced
changes in global trade, climate change variability, new resource from marine shipping activity. Changes in Arctic sea ice will not
discoveries, marine insurance industry roles, multiple use conflicts only provide for possible longer seasons of navigation, but may also
and Arctic marine technologies. Future Arctic marine activity will result in increased interaction between migrating species and ships.
include many non-Arctic stakeholders, multiple users in Arctic water- Black carbon emissions from ships operating in the Arctic may have
ways and potential overlap of new operations with indigenous uses. regional impacts by accelerating ice melt. Other ship emissions dur-
Arctic voyages through 2020 will be overwhelmingly destinational, ing Arctic voyages, such as SOx and NOx, may have unintended
not trans-Arctic. A lack of major ports, except for those in north- consequences for the Arctic environment and these emissions
ern Norway and northwest Russia, and other critical infrastructure may require the implementation of additional IMO environmental
will be significant limitations for future Arctic marine operations. regulations.
The Bering Strait region, ringed with indigenous communities and a
highly productive ecosystem with many species of marine mammals, Arctic Marine Infrastructure: There is a general lack of marine
fish and seabirds, may require formally established vessel routing infrastructure in the Arctic, except for areas along the Norwegian
measures. Offshore hydrocarbon developments may lead to increased coast and northwest Russia, compared with other marine regions of
marine traffic in the Bering Strait region. For the Canadian Arctic, the world with high concentrations of ship traffic. Gaps in hydro-
the Northwest Passage is not expected to become a viable trans-Arc- graphic data exist for significant portions of primary shipping routes
tic route through 2020, but destinational shipping is anticipated to important to support safe navigation. In addition, for safe opera-
increase. Marine transportation of oil from the Pechora Sea to Europe tions in the Arctic there is a need for the same suite of meteoro-
is considered technically and economically feasible; the volume of logical and oceanographic data, products and services as in other
oil and gas may be as high as 40 million tons per year by 2020 on oceans, plus comprehensive information on sea ice and icebergs.
the western Northern Sea Route. Except in limited areas of the Arctic, there is a lack of emergency
response capacity for saving lives and for pollution mitigation. There
Human Dimensions: Marine shipping is one of many factors are serious limitations to radio and satellite communications and
impacting Arctic communities. There may be some positive economic few systems to monitor and control the movement of ships in ice-
impacts to increased shipping. However, Arctic residents express covered waters. The current lack of marine infrastructure in all but a
concern for the social, cultural and environmental effects of such limited number of areas, coupled with the vastness and harshness of
expansion. The possibility of oil spills is a major concern and hunt- the environment, makes conduct of emergency response significantly
ers are especially concerned about the disruption of marine species more difficult in the Arctic. Z
and their hunting practices. The costs and benefit of Arctic shipping
6 ARCTIC MARINE SHIPPING ASSESSMENT | AMSA ExECUTIVE SUMMARY WITH RECOMMENDATIONS
The Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment Recommendations
The focus of the AMSA is marine safety and marine environ- C. Uniformity of Arctic Shipping Governance: That the Arctic
mental protection, which is consistent with the Arctic Council’s states should explore the possible harmonization of Arctic marine
mandates of environmental protection and sustainable devel- shipping regulatory regimes within their own jurisdiction and
opment. Based on the findings of the AMSA, recommendations uniform Arctic safety and environmental protection regulatory
were developed to provide a guide for future action by the Arctic regimes, consistent with UNCLOS, that could provide a basis for
Council, Arctic states and many others. The AMSA recommenda- protection measures in regions of the central Arctic Ocean beyond
tions are presented under three broad, inter-related themes that coastal state jurisdiction for consideration by the IMO.
are fundamental to understanding the AMSA: Enhancing Arctic
Marine Safety, Protecting Arctic People and the Environment, and D. Strengthening Passenger Ship Safety in Arctic Waters:
Building Arctic Marine Infrastructure. It is recognized that imple- That the Arctic states should support the application of the IMO’s
mentation of these recommendations could come from the Arctic Enhanced Contingency Planning Guidance for Passenger Ships
states, industry and/or public-private partnerships. Operating in Areas Remote from SAR Facilities, given the extreme
challenges associated with rescue operations in the remote and
I. Enhancing Arctic Marine Safety cold Arctic region; and strongly encourage cruise ship operators to
develop, implement and share their own best practices for operat-
A. Linking with International Organizations: That the Arctic ing in such conditions, including consideration of measures such
states decide to, on a case by case basis, identify areas of common as timing voyages so that other ships are within rescue distance in
interest and develop unified positions and approaches with respect case of emergency.
to international organizations such as: the International Maritime
Organization (IMO), the International Hydrographic Organization E. Arctic Search and Rescue (SAR) Instrument: That the Arctic
(IHO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the states decide to support developing and implementing a compre-
International Maritime Satellite Organization (IMSO) to advance hensive, multi-national Arctic Search and Rescue (SAR) instrument,
the safety of Arctic marine shipping; and encourage meetings, as including aeronautical and maritime SAR, among the eight Arctic
appropriate, of member state national maritime safety organiza- nations and, if appropriate, with other interested parties in recog-
tions to coordinate, harmonize and enhance the implementation nition of the remoteness and limited resources in the region.
of the Arctic maritime regulatory framework.
II. Protecting Arctic People and the Environment
B. IMO Measures for Arctic Shipping: That the Arctic states, in
recognition of the unique environmental and navigational condi- A. Survey of Arctic Indigenous Marine Use: That the Arctic states
tions in the Arctic, decide to cooperatively support efforts at the should consider conducting surveys on Arctic marine use by indig-
International Maritime Organization to strengthen, harmonize and enous communities where gaps are identified to collect informa-
regularly update international standards for vessels operating in tion for establishing up-to-date baseline data to assess the impacts
the Arctic. These efforts include: from Arctic shipping activities.
---Support the updating and the mandatory application of rele- B. Engagement with Arctic Communities: That the Arctic states
vant parts of the Guidelines for Ships Operating in Arctic Ice-covered decide to determine if effective communication mechanisms
Waters (Arctic Guidelines); and, exist to ensure engagement of their Arctic coastal communities
and, where there are none, to develop their own mechanisms to
---Drawing from IMO instruments, in particular the Arctic engage and coordinate with the shipping industry, relevant eco-
Guidelines, augment global IMO ship safety and pollution pre- nomic activities and Arctic communities (in particular during the
vention conventions with specific mandatory requirements or planning phase of a new marine activity) to increase benefits and
other provisions for ship construction, design, equipment, crew- help reduce the impacts from shipping.
ing, training and operations, aimed at safety and protection of the
Arctic environment.