Why Do They Need the Arctic? The First Partition of the Sea

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The political situation of the Arctic still remains unstable. In the past decade, a combination of the specific regulations of the Convention on the Law of the Sea and the phenomenon of Arctic ice-cover shrinkage have produced a significant increase in the political activity of some of the countries interested in the region. It is commonly thought that the roots of the Arctic conflict lie in the abundant mineral resources, particularly petroleum and natural gas, that lie under the Arctic seabed. By analyzing geological data on the location of oil deposits and by taking into account the technological and macroeconomic conditions that must be fulfilled in order to exploit them, it is possible to conclude that the exploitation of these deposits will most likely not be attempted in the areas under dispute in the coming decades. This conclusion suggests that the motives behind the Arctic conflict are political, and not economic.Key words: Arctic, Convention on the Law of the Sea, conflict, resources, crude oil, peak oil RÉSUMÉ. À ce jour, la situation politique de l'Arctique demeure instable. Cette dernière décennie, les règlements spécifiques découlant de la Convention sur le droit de la mer, alliés au phénomène de la diminution de la couverture de glace arctique, se sont traduits par une activité politique considérablement accrue de la part de certains des pays intéressés par la région. On pense généralement que le conflit de l'Arctique est attribuable aux ressources minérales abondantes qui se trouvent sous le plancher océanique de l'Arctique, plus particulièrement le pétrole et le gaz naturel. À la lumière de l'analyse des données géologiques portant sur l'emplacement des gisements de pétrole et des conditions technologiques et macroéconomiques devant être remplies pour les exploiter, il est possible de conclure qu'il faudra vraisemblablement plusieurs décennies avant que l'exploitation de ces gisements ne soit entreprise dans les régions visées par le conflit. On en conclut donc que les motifs derrière le conflit de l'Arctique sont de nature politique, et non pas économique.Mots clés : Arctique, Convention sur le droit de la mer, conflit, ressources, pétrole brut, pic pétrolier Traduit pour la revue Arctic par Nicole Giguère.

Legal Instruments for Marine Sanctuary in the High Arctic

“…We adhere to this view as the Arctic Council has taken initiative to negotiate binding regional agreements in areas beyond national jurisdiction through past efforts such as the Agreement on Cooperation and Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response and the Arctic Search and Rescue Agreement ( [41], pp. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. This precedent of binding treaties in waters outside of member EEZs demonstrates feasible legal basis for a regional treaty creating MPAs even beyond EEZs, though only binding for the 8 Arctic states and other parties that choose to accede to the treaty by way of future signature and ratification.…”

“…Global surface temperature data revealed that 2015 was the hottest year so far on record, since recordkeeping began in 1880 [8]. As a result of opening waters, economic activity and resource capture are accelerating in what some describe as possible "rush for the Arctic" [9], and others as the "scramble for the Arctic" [10]. Any "rush for the Arctic" will likely be slower than such a term implies, due to market prices and technological barriers, especially in the case of oil [8].…”