Arctic Coast Guard Forum: Eyes and Ears Up North
On October 30, 2015, at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, the heads of eight agencies fulfilling the functions of Coast Guard of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden, and the United States signed a Joint Statement formally establishing the Arctic Coast Guard Forum (ACGF). The ACGF is an independent, informal, operationally-driven organization. It is not bound by treaty, but will work in cooperation with the Arctic Council to foster safe, secure, and environmentally responsible maritime activity in the Arctic region.
North Norway Port Booms as Arctic Ocean Base
Kirkenes is becoming an important port for vessels conducting seismic surveys in the Arctic search for fossil fuels. Geographical proximity to the oil and gas fields and developed infrastructure draws companies to this North Norwegian town. One of the companies making a profit on the increased activity in the Arctic is Henriksen Shipping. Since the Agreement on Delimitation of the Barents Sea and Arctic Ocean came into force, Henriksen Shipping has had an enormous increase in the number of calls by vessels heading to Arctic waters for seismological surveys.
Houston Welcomes King of Norway
Port of Houston Authority Chairman Jim Edmonds, the PHA commissioners and staff on Wednesday, March 2, hosted a welcome reception for His Majesty King Harald V of Norway aboard the M/V Star Gazer as the vessel toured the Houston Ship Channel. The reception also was attended by several shipping industry executives and local elected officials. As he congratulated Norway on the centennial celebration of its independence, PHA's Chairman Edmonds noted that Norway has an enviable reputation in maritime shipping. "Even here on the Houston Ship Channel, Norwegian names are everywhere conducting business, such as Stolt-Nielsen, Odfjell, Aker Marine, Barwil Agencies, Skaugen and many others," Edmonds said.
