“In the Arctic, there are no small accidents” | Polarjournal
Safety is an issue for shipping in the Arctic, where emergency infrastructures are rare. Over the last ten years, the distance covered by the Polar Code has doubled, and the number of ships has increased. Image: Air Force / Joint Arctic Command

The challenges of maritime safety in polar zones were discussed with sailors, instructors and researchers in Brest during Sea Tech Week. The workshop was organized by Anne Choquet, a lawyer specializing in polar areas, and Roberto Rivas Hermann, a researcher at the Center for Northern Logistics, in residence in Brest from Bodø, Norway.

The Chinese heavy-lift cargo ship Ocean 28 operates without ice capacity on the Northern Sea Route (and without escort), violating the safety rules of the Polar Code “with at least the tacit approval of Russia”, says Malte Humpert for GCaptain last Thursday. What dangers do polar sailors face in the Arctic? What risks does the environment face? These questions were addressed by a complementary panel of polar experts at Sea Tech Week in Brest last week. “In addition to this workshop, we also have plans to co-publish a book with an international academic publishing house,” explains Anne Choquet, a polar lawyer from the Université de Bretagne Occidentale, who teamed up with Roberto Rivas Hermann from Nord University to organize the event.

“The Polar Code applies in maritime areas where ice concentration exceeds 10%. It prohibits all hydrocarbon discharges…” reminds Hervé Baudu, professor of nautical sciences at ENSM and member of the Académie de Marine, on his time. As well as having been involved in drafting the Polar Code, which came into force in 2017, he provides the necessary training for sailors in the French merchant navy and national navy. A captain must undergo two weeks of mandatory training to navigate in these waters. “He gets to grips with ice charts to plan voyages and practices maneuvers on a simulator,” he explains. In turn, the captain of theAstrolabe – which supplies the French scientific station in Antarctica – testifies: “every day, we check where the other ships are, rare in the zone.”

If training is necessary, so is special equipment. Certification body Veritas develops and tests safety equipment for the polar regions. “Liferafts are more voluminous, as they require more emergency kits, water, food and equipment,” explains Bureau Veritas engineer Aurélien Olivin. Between sessions, some sailors discuss technical points for improvement over a cup of coffee. The exercises organized in 2019 and 2023 on board a cruise ship were aimed at achieving the minimum 5 days of autonomy in or on ice. Veritas is currently working on the development of warmer watertight suits capable of floating while waiting for rescue.

“In the Arctic, there are no small accidents, they’re always serious”, comments Olivier Faury, Associate Professor of Maritime Transport at Normandie Business School. Presenting his latest findings, he tells us that the majority of incidents take place on the Russian side of the Arctic. Machinery failure is the main cause of damage, followed by shipwrecks and groundings. “The climatic factor is only in third place, but it is aggravating”, says Olivier Faury. Fishing vessels account for a significant proportion of the boats concerned, with cargo ships in second place. The Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment observation network has shown that the number of fishing boats rose from 533 to 723 between 2013 and 2023.


“A crisis can follow an orderly, predictable pattern; we train for it, but sometimes you have to be ready to move from the known to the unknown.”

Johannes Schmied


Pleasure yachts are also on the increase, rising from 7 to 19 vessels over the last decade. The Polar Code does not apply to these vessels of less than 100 tons, which are more difficult to follow. “Only the recommendations issued by the flag state count then,” explains Hervé Baudu, “for example, having an Iridium means of communication.” While some are highly experienced, like Éric Brossier, captain of the sailing yacht Vagabond, who is present at the meeting, many sailors venture into the Arctic for the first time.

Jon Amtrup, author of the book Sail to Svalbard, is a regular visitor to the archipelago. Image: James Austrums

Accidents can have serious consequences for sailors and passengers in the tourist industry, but they can also affect food supplies for communities on land. In north-west Greenland, for example, it can take months for a supply ship to return. “Often, these Arctic regions have a minimum food self-sufficiency policy of 7 days”, explains Johannes Schmied, NordLab’s senior advisor and crisis management expert.

Speaking from experience at the lectern, Sara Bran, an artist who sailed this summer on a solar kayak in Greenland, explains that in the north, locals can store meat under stone mounds to keep out bears and foxes. But caught between inflation and poor pack ice for hunting, last winter was a difficult one, as Sara Bran learned from the locals.

“That’s why Canada and Alaska are quite proactive in maintaining ancestral know-how through training or tutorials in Arctic communities,” explains Johannes Schmied, who studies crisis management, also in Svalbard. The archipelago has a hospital and rescue services. The Norwegian government is considering a number of possibilities, including the grounding of a tourist vessel. Between tactics, operations and strategy, Johannes Schmied reminds us: “A crisis can follow an orderly, predictable pattern – you train for it – but sometimes you have to be ready to move from the known to the unknown.”

Camille Lin, Polar Journal AG

Incident analysis : Fedi, L., Faury, O., Etienne, L., Cheaitou, A., Rigot-Muller, P., 2024. Application of the IMO taxonomy on casualty investigation: Analysis of 20 years of marine accidents along the North-East Passage. Marine Policy 162, 106061. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2024.106061 .

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