Proceedings magazine is a communication tool for the Coast Guard's Marine Safety & Security Council. Each quarterly magazine focuses on a specific theme of interest to the marine industry.
Issue link: https://uscgproceedings.epubxp.com/i/149372
Arctic Opportunities Emerging Arctic Opportunities Dramatic increases expected in Arctic shipping, oil and gas exploration, fsheries, and tourism. byMR. PAULHOLTHUS Executive Director World Ocean Council MS. CAROLYN CLARKIN Project Assistant World Ocean Council MR.JONATHAN LORENTZEN Project Assistant World Ocean Council In2004,some6,000vessels(approximately60percent ofwhichwerebulkcarriers,andcontainerorgeneral cargoships)transitedArcticwaterseitheracrossthe northPacifcandBeringSea,alongthecoastofIceland andtheNorwegianSea,oralongthenortherncoastof NorwayandthenintotheBarentsSea.1 T he World Oc ean Counc il is an alliance for private sector leadership and collaboration in ocean sustainability, stewardship, and science. Members include more than 60 leadership organizations from a wide range of ocean industries, including oil and gas, shipping, seafood, fsheries, aquaculture, mining, renewable energy, ocean technology, mar itime law, and mar ine environmental services. 10 Proceedings Summer 2013 InNorthAmerica,destinationshippinghasincreased alongtheBeaufortSeaandNorthwestPassage.In addition,vesselstravelingthroughtheBeringStrait nearlydoubledfrom2009to2010(reaching430vesselsperyear).2TugsandbargescurrentlymakedozensofresupplytripsbetweenCanada'sNorthwest TerritoryandtheU.S.BeaufortSeacoastlinefrom mid-JulythroughtheendofOctober,3 and vessels carryinggoodstoU.S.ArcticportssailtoPointBarrow orPrudhoeBaythroughtheBeringStraitandalong Alaska'snortherncoastline. Shipping Grows Amid Challenges Growingdemandforgoods;increasedexplorationfor oil,gas,andminerals;andassociatedinfrastructure developmentwillincreasedestinationshippingin theNorthAmericanArctic.Theseactivitiesareconstrained,however,bythelimitednumberofdeepdraftportsinthenorthernandnorthwesternAlaskan andCanadianArctic.Forexample,mostU.S.ports neartheBeringStraitarelessthan10metersdeep,far lessthanrequiredformostseagoingships. www.uscg.mil/proceedings