automatic analysis to show where those water leads and ice ridges are to give you more information about safe transit.”
Even as suppliers tweak their equipment, it’s not always clear when they can call it a day. This is because the Code is goal-based: It states what vessels should aim for but doesn’t give details on how to achieve these goals. It also sometimes does not even provide minimum requirements or clarify how compliance will be documented.
Petri Mikola, Senior Vice President, Technical Services at Arctia, the Finnish state-owned operator of the country’s icebreaking fleet, says, “There are some areas still pending, and development work is needed.” Similarly, DNV GL’s Morten notes, “I think it will take some time for IMO to decide and be more specific, and then for the industry and equipment suppliers to be able to supply the right equipment.”
The Human Dimension Meeting technical standards and supplying equipment is only half the equation in successfully implementing the Code. Brigham, the former Coast Guard officer involved in the early days of its drafting, says that, ultimately, it’s the human dimension that matters: “It’s who’s in the pilot house, what’s the competency of the mariners, and what’s their training in the polar regions – not just simulators.
That’s the real issue for all of us dealing with Arctic navigation, and it’s probably the biggest challenge for implementing and enforcing the Polar Code.”
To deal with the challenge of training people adequately, companies like ABB Marine & Ports offer ice navigator training and Polar Code certification. ABB’s five- day H938 course teaches vessel operators the necessary skills for operating the company’s Azipod® propulsor in ice conditions and how to identify different types of ice and their risks. Samuli Hänninen, who specializes in icebreaking vessels at ABB, says, “At the moment, the majority of our customers are from the oil and gas sector. In addition, we are able to support crews with our ice expertise, for example, with expedition cruise vessels. Current customers have been very satisfied with the workshop and course.”
Phase Two Although it’s still the early days for the Polar Code, stakeholders and activists are already setting out their goals for a second phase of negotiations. Øystein Jensen, an expert on polar shipping and the Law of the Sea at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, believes that while the current Code strikes a good balance, it is somewhat watered down in certain areas: “For instance, fishing vessels and vessels less than 500GT do not need to comply with the regulations. Air pollution is not mentioned. Ballast
water management provisions are recommendatory only.”
Andrew Dumbrille, Senior Specialist, Sustainable Shipping at the World Wildlife Fund-Canada, points to heavy fuel oil (prohibited in Antarctic waters but not the Arctic), underwater noise and gray water as issues requiring attention in phase two. He is also hopeful about increased community and Indigenous engagement in the next round of negotiations: “I think the movement is growing and things do look positive for engaging those people who are directly impacted by shipping in the Arctic.”
This would mark yet another advance for the Polar Code which, despite its shortcomings, has proved to be an important innovation in safeguarding the world’s seas.
Polar expert Mia Bennett teaches at the University of Hong Kong.
The Report • June 2018 • Issue 84 | 59
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
