Enhancing AIS to Improve Whale-Ship Collision Avoidance and Maritime Security

Whale-ship strikes are of growing worldwide concern due to the steady growth of commercial shipping. Improving the current situation involves the creation of a communication capability allowing whale position information to be estimated and exchanged among vessels and other observation assets. An early example of such a system has been implemented for the shipping lane approaches to the harbor of Boston, Massachusetts where ship traffic transits areas of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary frequently used by whales. It uses the Automated Identification Systems (AIS) technology, currently required for larger vessels but becoming more common in all classes of vessels. However, we believe the default mode of AIS operation will be inadequate to meet the long-term needs of whale-ship collision avoidance, and will likewise fall short of meeting other current and future marine safety and security communication needs. This paper explores the emerging safety and security needs for vessel communications, and considers the consequences of a communication framework supporting asynchronous messaging that can be used to enhance the basic AIS capability. The options we analyze can be pursued within the AIS standardization process, or independently developed with attention to compatibility with existing AIS systems. Examples are discussed for minimizing ship interactions with Humpback Whales and endangered North Atlantic Right Whales on the east coast, and North Pacific Right Whales, Bowhead Whales, Humpback Whales, Blue Whales and Beluga Whales in west coast, Alaskan and Hawaiian waters

Global Security, Climate Change, and the Arctic

This issue of Swords and Ploughshares examines the complex set of global security challenges that are emerging as a result of warmer temperatures and melting ice in the Arctic region. For policymakers and analysts alike, the contemporary Arctic presents a particularly acute convergence of compelling problems and opportunities related to global security, foreign affairs, climate change, environmentalism, international law, energy economics, and the rights of indigenous populations. The goals of this publication are two-fold: to provide thoughtful analysis of recent developments in the Arctic both from scientific and geopolitical perspectives; and to offer careful and informed assessments of how evolving conditions in the Arctic might impact the broader global security framework and relations between the international actors involved, not to mention the region’s inhabitants and ecosystem. The articles in this issue were contributed by each of four panelists invited by the Program in Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security (ACDIS), the European Union Center, and the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center at the University of Illinois to participate in a November 2009 symposium entitled “Global Security, Climate Change, and the Arctic: Implications of an Open Northwest Passage.” The symposium and this publication were supported through grants to the host centers from the European Commission, the US Department of Education (Title VI international education program), and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.published or submitted for publicationnot peer reviewe

Canadian arctic marine transportation issues, opportunities and challenges

Shipping in the Canadian Arctic is mainly driven by fishing, mining activities and community resupply. Fishing, mostly carried out by vessels based in Newfoundland and still less developed than in Greenland, is gradually moving north to Baffin Bay. Community resupply and ore transportation are expanding, but strategies pursued by the four shipping companies involved differ. MTS took over from bankrupt NTCL in 2016 with a more limited service. Coastal Shipping Ltd., Desgagnés and NEAS all expanded westwards and opted for larger, heavier vessels without expanding frequency of service. The lack of port infrastructure in the Canadian Arctic hampers the development of commercial shipping, fishing, cruise tourism and extractive industries. The four companies dedicated to community resupply are determined to take advantage of business opportunities in the Canadian Arctic, just as shipping companies involved in mining operations are responsible for a fast expansion of their traffic. In these conditions, northern corridors inland could possibly support the development of improved community resupply, as well as mining operations, provided they can service clusters of mines and communities. The lack of port infrastructure in the Canadian Arctic hampers the development of commercial shipping, fishing, cruise tourism and extractive industries. Community resupply in the region relies on large vessel sealifts, which enable companies to service several communities with few voyages to secure economies of scale. Given the absence 4 of infrastructure in the communities, goods are unloaded on the beach using tugboats and barges carried by the vessel. In this respect, the Canadian Arctic differs strikingly from the Greenlandic, Norwegian or Russian Arctic, where communities benefit from deep-sea ports that greatly facilitate loading and unloading operations and prove conducive to the development of economic activities. In the Canadian Arctic, companies have adapted to these logistical constraints and may even benefit from the fact that they act as a barrier to entry into the small, specialized market. Traffic generated by mining activities is likely to keep expanding, provided no severe collapse of world commodity prices occurs. Several mining sites are being actively explored and havens have been built in Hope Bay and Bathurst Inlet. However, these mining projects concern precious metals or gems that require little transport capacity, with traffic mostly generated by the resupply of mining operations. Extraction of industrial metals — generating huge volumes of ore — requires the construction of deepsea ports and connecting land transport infrastructure. Community resupply may also experience continued expansion. However, expansion may be contingent on improved port facilities in the Canadian archipelago. The development of deep-water wharves in selected communities, such as Churchill and Iqaluit, could simplify operations and enable improved shipping services, lowering prices of consumer goods and providing the opportunity to ship locally produced goods to southern markets. These ports could develop into regional hubs similar to those that once flourished in Churchill, Moosonee and Cambridge Bay during NTCL’s heyday. NEAS and Desgagnés are considering this option for Churchill. In this context, northern land corridors may support the development of community resupply by facilitating the reloading of ships while already positioned in Arctic waters. They could also help support mining activities but would have to face the test of profitability given the expensive investments they imply

Global Shipping Game \u2710

During the period 8-9 December 2010, the United States Naval War College (NWC) in Newport, Rhode Island hosted the Global Shipping Game (GSG). The GSG was developed and executed at the direction of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). The purpose of the GSG was to explore strategic-level implications as a result of future changes in global shipping patterns. The CNO directed the NWC to develop a game that would explore changes in economic and trade patterns within the context of two future scenarios: expansion of the Panama Canal in 2020 and increased access of commercial shipping through the Arctic by 2035. After reviewing the research literature, the GSG was honed to explore two overarching research questions based on the CNO?s areas of interest: What are the broad, strategic security implications for the United States posed by projected changes in shipping patterns as a result of the Panama Canal expansion? What are the broad, strategic security implications for the United States posed by projected changes in shipping patterns as a result of the opening of the Arctic? In addition to the two primary research questions, the GSG also examined the following two subsidiary questions: What, if any, are the impacts to U.S. security interests for failing to ratify the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Treaty based on projected changes in shipping patterns as a result of either the Panama Canal expansion or the opening of the Arctic? What challenges, if any, will expansion of the Panama Canal or the opening of the Arctic present to U.S. naval forces engaged in ensuring the free flow of goods at sea while maintaining forward global presence

Winter shipping in the Canadian Arctic : toward year-round traffic?

With the rapidly melting sea ice in the Arctic, and developing shipping traffic, emerged the idea, popular with the media, that sea ice would soon be completely dominated by first-year ice, and would thus be comparable to ice present in the Gulf of St. Lawrence: this would allow for the setting up of shipping year-round along Arctic passages. In fact, contrary to this idea, even with the vanishing of multi-year ice, ice conditions will remain very different in the Arctic from ice prevailing in the Gulf. Besides, naval technology certainly helps overcoming challenges of ice navigation, but they do not mean it is economically or technically much easier. Year-round shipping in the Arctic remains a difficult challenge to overcome

Arctic Security Considerations and the U.S. Navy’s Roadmap for the Arctic

The scope and magnitude of changes to the Arctic region as a result of a changing climate are great—shifts in species populations and distribution, more navigable transportation passages, increased shipping activity and resource extraction, and modified global circulation patterns. The Navy’s Task Force Climate Change is addressing these considerations, which will shape safety and security in the Arctic

Governance of expedition cruise ship tourism in the arctic: A comparison of the Canadian and Russian Arctic

Expedition style cruise tourism represents a significant proportion of shipping activity across the Arctic. This article compares and contrasts governance structures that manage the cruise sector from case studies located in the Canadian (Nunavut) and the Russian Arctic (Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions). Analysis of sources, including interviews with key stakeholders, strategic tourism plans, and an inventory of institutional governance reveals that in both these locations there is no central authority to govern the growth of the industry, no specific cruise or yacht management plans, and no site guidelines for highly visited shore locations (other than in protected areas). The article concludes that under current conditions there are significant barriers to supporting development of the expedition cruise sector in both these Arctic regions

Northern and Arctic Security and Sovereignty: Challenges and Opportunities for a Northern Corridor

Key Messages Key issues related to Canada’s security and defence agenda, which involve critical and essential infrastructure development, must be considered in the development and implementation of a Canadian Northern Corridor (CNC). Canada’s northern and Arctic security and defence agenda is related to several key policy domains that are relevant from a CNC perspective. These include infrastructure development, climate change, Indigenous sovereignty and natural resource development. A CNC will gain international attention and be internationally recognized as a strategy for Canada to assert its sovereignty over its Arctic territory, including the internationally disputed Northwest Passage. The CNC advocates for the inclusion and participation of Indigenous communities. Thus, Indigenous Peoples will also carry a significant role in the monitoring and surveillance of accessibility within and to the North, improved through enhanced infrastructure development. Canada’s investments in Arctic defence infrastructure are modest comparedto those of its Russian and American neighbours. A CNC, potentially adding strategically important infrastructure in the Canadian North, will directly tie into the discourse of Arctic security and power relations. In addition to natural disasters, the Canadian North is at significant risk of human-made disasters that pose serious prospective challenges for northerners and for federal and territorial governments. The CNC will likely foster the development of surveillance and monitoring assets. The CNC rights-of-way could trigger security concerns regarding the impactof foreign investment as a security threat, especially if natural resource development is coupled with the development of strategic transportation hubs, such as ports along the coast of the Arctic Ocean. CNC transportation infrastructure would also become a part of Canada’s defence strategy as it forms a potential key asset in the defence and safeguarding of Canada’s northern and Arctic regions. Future research should identify the role of dual-use infrastructure (infrastructure that satisfies both military and civilian purposes) in the CNC context and also examine to what extent security and defence stakeholders should be involved in the CNC’s planning and implementation

Maritime activity and risk patterns in the High North : MARPART Project Report 2

This report provides a discussion on dominating risk factors, risk types and probability of unwanted incidents in the Arctic region. It also provides a coarse-grained evaluation of the potential consequences of different incidents in the northern sea areas of Russia, Norway, Greenland, and Iceland. The risk assessment build upon statistics on vessel activity, case studies of real incidents, and expert evaluation of defined situations of hazard and accident (DSHA). The evaluations of this study may serve as a platform for more detailed assessments, and as input for discussions on priority areas in respect to safety measures and emergency preparedness. In the Marpart Project, the risk assessments have a special role as input into the analyses of emergency management capabilities, and the need for special government efforts in cross-border cooperation

Bounty in the Bering Strait: a case for proactive regulation in the world's next chokepoint

Thesis (M.A.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2015This thesis analyzes trends in waterborne trade throughout history to demonstrate that the Bering Strait will soon become a chokepoint of international trade. Scientific studies suggest that the accelerating effects of global warming in the Arctic will result in ice-free routes in the coming decades. Given the likelihood that vessel traffic through the Bering Strait will rise, this thesis assesses the region's ecological vulnerability, along with its significant commercial and cultural values. The history of shipping regulation worldwide and commercial regulation in the Bering Sea reveals a tendency to enact regulation in response to a major oil spill or species depletion. To ensure the food security of Native coastal communities and the productivity of commercial fisheries in the Bering Sea, this thesis argues for a proactive approach to vessel traffic regulation in the Bering Strait. It examines several current regulatory regimes to identify which could be enacted to protect the region's resources. This thesis concludes that, despite barriers to cooperation between Russia and the U.S., a cross-border management regime that promotes safe shipping through the Bering Strait would further both nations' economic interests and safeguard the Bering Sea's valuable yet vulnerable marine resources.Introduction -- Literature Review -- The History of Maritime Trade -- Chokepoints of Trade -- Analyses of Arctic Shipping -- Bounty in the Bering Sea -- Regulation in the Bering Strait -- Methodology -- Chapter One: A brief history of maritime trade, the importance of chokepoints and the inevitable rise of vessel traffic through the Bering Strait -- Introduction -- Waterborne Trade -- The Growth of Civilizations -- The First Maritime Empires -- The Spread of Transoceanic Trade -- The Importance of Geography -- Advantages of Ocean vs. Land Transport -- Geography and Power -- Chokepoints to Maritime Trade -- Chokepoints at Risk -- Arctic Alternatives -- Northeast and Northwest Passages -- Global Warming and Thawing Shipping Lanes -- The Allure of the Northeast Passage -- The Bering Strait as a Future Chokepoint -- International Interest in the Arctic -- Commercial Viability of the Arctic -- Oil and Gas Arctic Shipping -- Discussion -- Conclusion -- Chapter Two: Assessing present values in the Bering Sea and past regulatory trends worldwide to make the case for proactive regulation in the Bering Strait -- Introduction -- The Bering Sea Ecosystem -- Historical Value -- Land Bridge Migrations, First Settlements, and Subsistence Trends -- Current Value -- Subsistence Habits and Food Security in Coastal Communities -- Subsistence Species Threatened by Global Warming -- Introduction of Cash Economies and Store-Bought Foods -- Bering Sea Fishery -- History of Commercial Endeavors in the Bering Sea -- Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries: Marine Mammal Harvesting -- Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: Bering Sea Fisheries -- Threats to the Bering Sea Fisheries and Subsistence Resources Posed by Shipping -- Oil and Gas Spills -- Ship Strikes -- Noise -- Pollution -- Discussion -- Overharvesting of Marine Resources -- Oil Spills and Subsequent Regulations -- Conclusion -- Chapter Three: Proposed solutions, regulatory options, and economic incentives for cooperation between Russia and the U.S. in the Bering Strait -- Introduction -- Local Concerns and Recommended Regulations -- Mandatory vs. Voluntary Regulations -- Legal Frameworks for the Arctic Ocean -- United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) -- International Maritime Organization (IMO) -- The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) -- Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas -- Polar Code -- Regulatory Gap -- Potential for Cross-Border U.S.-Russia Collaboration -- The Redistribution of State Power and the Rise of NGOs -- Russia-Norway Collaboration -- U.S.-Canada Collaboration -- Past and Present U.S.-Russia Relations -- Arctic Ambitions -- Russia -- United States -- Discussion -- Conclusion -- Bibliography