Commission On The Limits Of The Continental Shelf News

A recent decision by an international tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, has significant implications for other maritime disputes, freedom of navigation, and future oil and gas claims in the Arctic. The arbitral award issued on July 12, 2016, by a unanimous five-member panel or Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the dispute between the Philippines and China over rocks and elevations in the South China Sea, sounded a clarion call for the rule of law and the clearly defined…

Canada has launched its 2016 Arctic expedition to collect important scientific information to support the nation’s submission on the extended continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean. This year’s survey is a collaborative effort with Sweden, and Danish scientists will also participate in the research. The Canadian icebreaker CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent left Dartmouth on July 22, 2016, for Tromsø, Norway, where it will take on board personnel from Natural Resources Canada’s Geological Survey of Canada…

Russia has submitted its bid for vast territories in the Arctic to the United Nations, AP reported as the Foreign Ministry saying. The ministry said in a statement that Russia is claiming 1.2 million square kilometres (over 463,000 square miles) of Artic sea shelf extending more than 350 nautical miles (about 650 kilometres) from the shore. It said the bid contains new arguments. “Ample scientific data collected in years of Arctic research are used to back the Russian claim,” it said. Moscow also is asserting ownership of the emerging Northern Sea Route, the potentially lucrative seasonal shipping route opening above its northern coastline as Arctic ice melts. Rivalry for Arctic resources has intensified as shrinking polar ice is opening up new opportunities for exploration.

Denmark has claimed ownership of around 900,000 square kilometers of the continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean by filing documents to United Nations. "The submission of our claim to the continental shelf north of Greenland is a historic and important milestone for the Kingdom of Denmark," minister of foreign affairs Martin Lidegaard said in a statement. Denmark, along with Canada, Norway, Russia and the United States -- is eager to control as much Arctic territory as it can. The region contains 30 percent of the world's undiscovered natural gas and 15 percent of its oil, according to the U.S.

The answer to this question is a resounding “no.” The U.S. is not prepared to protect its interests in the Arctic over the next decade. The primary legal regime that is being relied upon by all members of the Arctic fraternity, the Law of the Sea Convention, has not been adopted by the U.S. The operational resources needed to pursue our interests have not been funded and there is currently little prospect that they will be funded in the near future. U.S. interests in the Arctic are vast.

The Canadian Government informs that  David Wells, Senator for Newfoundland and Labrador witnessed the departure of the 'CCGS Terry Fox' from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, as it headed out on a six-week scientific survey to collect data needed for Canada’s Arctic continental shelf submission. It will be joined by the 'CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent', which departs from the same location tomorrow. A second survey, to collect additional data, will be conducted in 2015. “As demonstrated by these planned surveys, our government is committing the resources necessary to ensure that Canada secures international recognition of the full extent of its continental shelf, including the North Pole,” said Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird. The CCGS Terry Fox will break ice so that the CCGS Louis S.

On January 30, 2014, the White House released the Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for the Arctic Region. The purpose of the Implementation Plan is to put flesh on the bones of the May 10, 2013 National Strategy for the Arctic Region. The National Strategy had identified three lines of effort to address challenges posed by the changing Arctic environment. The Implementation Plan sets forth the methodology, process, and approach for executing the Strategy. Most importantly…

Scientists aboard Swedish icebreaker 'Oden' prepare Danish claims as they reach the North Pole. Denmark is one of three Arctic nations that are collecting data to prove that the seafloor under the North Pole belongs to them. The two others are Russia and Canada. Denmark’s claim will be based on the assumption that the geographical North Pole is a part of the same underwater geological ridge that goes all the way from northern Greenland. The seafloor claims north of the Arctic…

The expedition will be aboard the Swedish icebreaker “Oden”, as it leaves from Svalbard with 46 Swedish and Danish scientists who will gather seismic and depth data to substantiate a future possible claim to the United Nations before November 2014, reports 'Barents Observer'. Denmark has identified five potential claim areas off the Faroe Islands and Greenland - both parts of the Kingdom of Denmark. The expedition will try to find evidence that Greenland’s continental shelf stretches all the way to the North Pole and therefore should be considered as Danish.

The melting polar icecap is presenting both opportunities and challenges for the United States and other Arctic nations, as well as other nations with interests in the region. Arctic ice cover has declined consistently over the past few decades. Increased accessibility, dubbed an “emerging maritime frontier” by U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr., presents a host of opportunities for oil and gas development, fishing, tourism, and transportation. It also creates myriad challenges related to Arctic governance, marine safety, indigenous populations, scientific research, and environmental stewardship. This article reviews the state of play regarding claims to the Arctic and the U.S.

Summary - A Report to Congress. The diminishment of Arctic sea ice has led to increased human activities in the Arctic, and has heightened interest in, and concerns about, the region’s future. The United States, by virtue of Alaska, is an Arctic country and has substantial interests in the region. On January 12, 2009, the George W. Bush Administration released a presidential directive, called National Security Presidential Directive 66/Homeland Security Presidential Directive 25 (NSPD 66/HSPD 25), establishing a new U.S. policy for the Arctic region. Record low extent of Arctic sea ice in 2007 focused scientific and policy attention on its linkage to global climate change, and to the implications of projected ice-free seasons in the Arctic within decades.

Make no mistake about it: the Arctic is open for business. The cumulative environmental footprint of oil exploration outfits, merchant shipping, mining, eco-tourism and the cruise ship trades is thus far minor, but the potential for an exponential increase in commerce – especially if the climate trends now affecting the region continue – is seemingly limitless. For the maritime industry, the down side to this is as big as the most promising business opportunity to come along in decades. The utility of a Northern Sea Route that follows the Siberian coastline, producing impressive time and fuel savings, a reduced emissions footprint, and elimination of canal transit fees for shippers moving goods between Europe and Asia has already been proven.

The United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) issued a release stating that the governments of France, Ireland, Spain, and the United Kingdom submitted information on the limits of the continental shelf adjacent to those nations. According to the Joint Submission, evidence indicates that a portion of the seabed underlying the Celtic Sea and the Bay of Biscay more than 200 nautical miles from the shoreline should be considered as part of the continental shelf of the adjacent coastal nation. The submission will be considered at an upcoming session of the CLCS. Source: HK Law