The Northeast, Northwest and Transpolar Passages in comparison

Østreng, Willy; Eger, Karl Magnus; Fløistad, Brit; Jorgensen-Dahl, Arnfinn; Lothe, Lars; Mejlænder-Larsen, Morten; Wergeland, Tor

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16790-4_9

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Much of the current Arctic shipping is destinational, and most of the ships sail under the Russian flag, indicating that international interest is currently small in comparison [ Keil , ]. While tanker traffic across the NSR has increased, data obtained from the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators indicate that the number of cruise passengers visiting two of the Arctic's main tourist hubs, Svalbard and Greenland, has been stable for the last 5–6 years, after a substantial increase of 14% per year between 2001 and 2008 [ Jørgensen–Dahl and Wergeland , ] but with a significant continued growth potential [ Østereng , ]. While the vessels navigating the Arctic sea routes, in particular the NSR, save time and money from the shorter distance, much of the gains is currently lost to the costs associated with paying for ice breaker support, high insurance, and investments in ice‐strengthened ships for a relatively short season for the polar sea routes.…”

Section: Sea Ice Change and Human Societymentioning

confidence: 92%

Arctic sea ice in transformation: A review of recent observed changes and impacts on biology and human activity

et al. 2014

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Sea ice in the Arctic is one of the most rapidly changing components of the global climate system. Over the past few decades, summer areal extent has declined over 30%, and all months show statistically significant declining trends. New satellite missions and techniques have greatly expanded information on sea ice thickness, but many uncertainties remain in the satellite data and long-term records are sparse. However, thickness observations and other satellite-derived data indicate a 40% decline in thickness, due in large part to the loss of thicker, older ice cover. The changes in sea ice are happening faster than models have projected. With continued increasing temperatures, summer ice-free conditions are likely sometime in the coming decades, though there are substantial uncertainties in the exact timing and high interannual variability will remain as sea ice decreases. The changes in Arctic sea ice are already having an impact on flora and fauna in the Arctic. Some species will face increasing challenges in the future, while new habitat will open up for other species. The changes are also affecting people living and working in the Arctic. Native communities are facing challenges to their traditional ways of life, while new opportunities open for shipping, fishing, and natural resource extraction. Significant progress has been made in recent years in understanding of Arctic sea ice and its role in climate, the ecosystem, and human activities. However, significant challenges remain in furthering the knowledge of the processes, impacts, and future evolution of the system.

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Section: Sea Ice Change and Human Societymentioning

confidence: 92%

Arctic sea ice in transformation: A review of recent observed changes and impacts on biology and human activity

et al. 2014

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“…By nature, transit traffic does not have to come through the Arctic, therefore it is necessarily in direct competition with other alternative routes. In addition, there are three main shipping routes through the Arctic joining the Atlantic and the Pacific basins: the northwest passage through the Canadian archipelago; the northeast passage along the Russian coasts; a route directly across the Arctic Ocean towards the pole is also conceivable, it is called the transpolar route (Lasserre 2010b; Stephenson and Smith 2012; Østreng and others 2013; Stephenson and others 2014) although it remains hypothetical for the present time because of large volumes of sea ice remaining at the minimum extent in September. The Arctic bridge is a sea lane between Murmansk and Churchill (Manitoba, Canada) that has been used by a few ships since 2007, and that was designed to boost traffic from the port of Churchill, active since 1931.…”

Section: Types Of Commercial Shipping Traffic In the Arcticmentioning

confidence: 99%

Commercial shipping in the Arctic: new perspectives, challenges and regulations

Guy

Lasserre

2016

Polar Record

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Guy, Emmanuel et Frédéric Lasserre (2016 Summary: maritime traffic is increasing in Arctic seas in the context of climate change. The rapid melting of sea ice led to the widespread belief that traffic was set to rapidly expand, challenging Canadian and Russian-claimed sovereignties over their respective Arctic passage, and underlining the risk posed by such a traffic in a risky but fragile environment. If projections on potential traffic for the medium term are probably exaggerated, the increasing traffic nevertheless challenges the adequacy of the regulatory framework.

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“…Between 1995 and 2002 legal arrangements foresaw a fixed ice-breaking fee only for cabotage whereas for import/export voyages and transit a practice of negotiated tariff with service provider was in place (Buyanov 2004). In 2009, the German-based Beluga Shipping's project cargo carriers paid only around USD 2.5 per DWT for high-valued project cargoes (Østreng and others 2013). Based on correspondence with Atomflot in 2013, the applicable fees for bulk and liquid cargo shipments were on a level of USD 5 per tonne of cargo and in ballast USD 2.5 per tonne of a ship's full displacement.…”

Section: The Negotiated Nsr Tariff Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

A review of Russian ice-breaking tariff policy on the northern sea route 1991–2014

Gritsenko

Kiiski

2015

Polar Record

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In recent years, interest in the economic potential of the Arctic has been mounting, facilitated by environmental developments caused by climate change. In this context, the viability of shipping in Arctic waters is pivotal. This article explores the interplay of market considerations and the non-market drivers (climatic, navigational and political components) regarding the viability of the most prominent Arctic shipping route, the northern sea route (NSR), as a global shipping route. In particular, it concentrates on the Russian ice-breaking tariff policy on the NSR and presents a review from 1991, when the route was officially opened to international shipping, until 2014. The study integrates qualitative and longitudinal quantitative data related to NSR traffic, ice-breaking tariffs and ice conditions. The paper shows that the ice-breaking fees play a key role for the functioning of the NSR by providing a source of funding for the ice-breaking fleet, which constitutes a basis for safe shipping. However, the development of the NSR into a competitive transcontinental shipping route is determined by a dynamic mixture of factors in which the Russian ice-breaking fee represents an additional cost item for shipping companies and shippers. It is argued that the development of ice-breaking tariff policy has been guided by structural changes in external factors consequently influencing the demand for ice-breaking services (a derivative of NSR demand), which limits the extent to which tariff policy influences the attractiveness of the NSR in a global context.

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The Northeast, Northwest and Transpolar Passages in comparison

Cited by 6 publications

References 0 publications

Arctic sea ice in transformation: A review of recent observed changes and impacts on biology and human activity

Arctic sea ice in transformation: A review of recent observed changes and impacts on biology and human activity

Commercial shipping in the Arctic: new perspectives, challenges and regulations

A review of Russian ice-breaking tariff policy on the northern sea route 1991–2014

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