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30 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • SEPTEMBER 2014 THE ARCTIC T hough shipping cargo through the Arc- tic is hardly new, the practice histori- cally has been the domain of Russian operators, ships and cargos, and the fi gurative cover on the Arctic is just now opening for global shipping companies. Commercial ac- tivity in the region, primarily shipping as well as energy exploration and production, has increased in step with the rapid thinning and overall reduc- tion of the polar ice cap. To put it simply, there are more days of ice free waters than ever before in recorded history, and ship owners are care- fully weighing technical risk versus fi nancial reward of sending ships through an Arctic route versus traditional transit via the Suez Canal or around Africa. While the savings in time and fuel are well within reach, so too are signifi cant risks, including a hefty dose of logistical, technical and human factors, in addition to international law and national political agenda. Physically it is undergoing a rapid, unprecedented change with ramifi cations not yet known. Commercially, it is seen as a fi nal frontier, a rich source of natural resources and a means to make shipping compa- nies more effi cient and profi table. New Day Dawning Today’s Arctic is at a literal and fi gurative crossroads. By outward appearance the Arctic is harsh, but in reality it is a fragile environment with a rapidly changing ecosystem. “70% of the volume of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has disap- Out in the Cold As the polar ice cap thins and recedes, ship owners and oil com- panies alike eye the Arctic with dollar signs in their eyes. While the premise of a faster shipping route and untold natural resourc- es sounds easy, the Arctic and its perils are anything but simple. Deployment of acoustic recorder in Beaufort Sea. (Photo: Fair weather LLC) By Greg Trauthwein MR #9 (26-33).indd 30 9/4/2014 3:14:55 PM
