‘Images of the Arctic and the Futures They Suggest’

A lecture by Professor David D. Caron took place at the Library of Congress on March 30 and covered the global legal and political implications of climate change in the Arctic, and the climate’s effects on the indigenous populations, international trade routes, vegetation and wildlife in the region. 

Offshore Oil and Gas: Guidelines

The 5th paper in a series from Vermont Law School’s Institute for Energy and Environment examines how Arctic Ocean and coastal states’ regulations reflect guidelines produced by the Arctic Council’s Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) Working Group for offshore oil and gas activity. It specifically covers the legal system and permitting processes, environmental and social impact assessment, Indigenous participation in decision-making, and operating practices for both Greenland and the Russian Federation. 

Marine Science: Legal Aspects and the Arctic Ocean

The  German Federal Foreign Office in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland held this 2nd Iternational Conference on 17-18 March in Berlin titled: Arctic Science, International Law and Climate Change – Legal Aspects of Marine Science in the Arctic Ocean –:

Speakers and their topics were as follows:

Block 1: Ongoing and future Arctic marine research

Lars-Otto Reiersen “Arctic – the Sentinel for Environmental Processes and Effects”

Michael Gahler “More relevant research for the EU Arctic Policy”

Peter Lemke “The role of the Arctic in the Global Climate System the Arctic Ocean”

Keith Alverson “Ongoing and future Arctic marine research”

Igor Ashik “Recent Russian marine research activities in the Arctic Ocean”

Block 2: Marine research in the Arctic Ocean in practice

Uwe Nixdorf “Arctic research in practice: on sea, on land, in the air”

Larry Mayer “Marine Research in the Arctic: The Perspective of a U.S. Practitioner”

Bernard Coakley “Environmental Permitting Constraints on Arctic Marine Scientific Research”

Alexander Studenetsky “Marine Scientific Research in waters under jurisdiction of the Russian Federation – Russian Legislation”

Klemetti Näkkäläjärvi “Climate change and traditional knowledge”

Block 3: The legal framework

Christian Marcussen “Extended continental shelf issues in the Arctic Ocean: A modern land “grab” or an example of cooperation between the Arctic coastal states?”

Ted L. McDorman “Setting the Stage: The Continental Shelf and Marine Science in the Arctic Ocean”

Judge Zhiguo Gao “Legal Issues of Marine Scientific Research in the Arctic: A Chinese Perspective”

Marie Jacobsson “Time for regime change? Some views on the international regulation of scientific research”

Paul Berkman “Balancing National Interests and Common Interests in the Arctic Ocean”

Block 4: Enlarged continental shelves and the freedom of marine science

Michael Lodge “The International Seabed Authority and the Arctic”

Alex Oude Elferink “Will the establishment of the outer limits of the continental shelf affect the regime for marine scientific research in the Arctic?”

Betsy Baker “Principles for Marine Scientific Research Access in the Arctic Ocean”

Judge Vladimir Golitsyn “Climate change, marine science and delineation of continental shelf”

Bjørn Kunoy “Spatial Limitation in the Establishment of the Outer Limits”

Block 5: Particularities and challenges

Mikko Niini “The technology drivers towards increased industrial activity in the Arctic Ocean”

Jean-Claude Gascard “From DAMOCLES (Developing Arctic Modelling and Observing Capabilities for Long-term Environmental Studies to ACCESS (Arctic Climate Change Impacts on Economic Sectors and Society”

Hajo Eicken “Beyond the 4^th International Polar Year as a testbed of internationally coordinated, collaborative Arctic marine research: Lessons learned from sea-ice research initiatives”

Udloriak Hanson “Science and research in the Arctic Ocean from an Inuit perspective”

Sergey Priamikov “Peculiarities of procedures of application on Marine Scientific Research in EEZ of Arctic ocean coastal states”

A short introduction, the draft Programme, and texts of Speeches by Guido Westerwelle, German Federal Foreign Minister and Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries are at: http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/arktis/en/Startseite.html

The conclusions of the conference will be released in a forthcoming publication.

Expansion of World-Wide Navigational Warning System

The World-Wide Navigational Warning System has been expanded to the Arctic regions through the joint efforts of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), The IMO delineated five new Arctic navigational areas, and the WMO delineated five new meteorological areas in June 2010. The responsibility for the navigational and meteorological areas will be divided between Canada, Norway and the Russian Federation. Press Release

Artic Forecasts: Ice and Shipping

The “Ocean Law Daily” reports that as of March 2011, the Arctic’s spring ice cover is setting a new low record and has indicated a reduction in expansion. However, climate patterns of the arctic are subject to change. The possibility of this continued reduced level has increased applications for transit of the Northern Sea route. Vessels that are not specifically ice hardened may soon be permitted through the route.