The Polar Code heralds a new era of safer navigation in Arctic waters

An historic milestone was reached on New Year’s Day 2017 when the International Maritime Organization’s Polar Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters came into force. The ‘Polar Code,’ as it is widely known throughout the maritime world, is designed to improve marine safety and enhance protection of Arctic peoples and polar marine environments. It is a groundbreaking marine governance regime for the Arctic and Southern oceans. The code establishes a set of mandatory and voluntary international standards for new and existing commercial ships and passenger vessels (all 500 tons or more) operating in Arctic and Antarctic waters. In contrast with Canada’s Arctic Shipping Pollution Prevention Regulations and Russia’s Rules for the Northern Sea Route — both long established within national statutes — the U.S. has lacked any special polar ship rules and regulations to govern marine operations in its maritime Arctic. This situation will change quickly as the U.S. Coast Guard begins to implement and enforce the many elements of the Polar Code during a two-year, phased application to ships sailing on international voyages in Alaska’s polar waters. Canada and Russia are engaged in merging their national regulations with the Polar Code; Denmark (for Greenlandic waters) and Norway (for Svalbard) are taking measures to implement the Code in their Arctic waters.