International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters

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The International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters or Polar Code is an international regime adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2014. [1] The Code sets out regulations for shipping in the polar regions, principally relating to ice navigation and ship design. The international framework aims to protect the two polar regions — the Arctic (north pole region) and Antarctic (south pole region), from maritime risks. [2] The Code entered into force on 1 January 2017. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Background

The Polar Code applies to ships operating in Polar Waters Icebreaker Polar Star somewhere on the Antarctic Peninsula - March 2009.jpg
The Polar Code applies to ships operating in Polar Waters

The Polar Code stems from previous IMO documents, including voluntary guidelines in both 2002 [5] and 2010. [6] As part of ongoing international work on the Polar Code, an IMO Workshop on the code's Environmental Aspects was held in Cambridge, United Kingdom, in September 2011. The report and some of the presentations from the workshop can be found on the IMO's website. [7] In February 2012, the IMO's Marine Safety Committee ("MSC") released a report detailing progress on the Polar Code. As of 2012, the MSC "decided to keep any decision on environmental requirements to be included in the Code in abeyance, pending further consideration at DE 57 [2013]. [8] However, agreement was subsequently reached and in November 2014, the Polar Code was approved by the MSC of the IMO and in May 2016, it was approved by the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the IMO. [1] [3] The Code entered into force on 1 January 2017. [2] [3] [4]

Scope of subject matter

The Polar Code is enforced through incorporation in existing treaties that encompass safety (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea or "SOLAS") and environmental protections (the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships or "MARPOL"). [9] Specifically, the Polar Code includes mandatory provisions covering safety measures (part I-A) and pollution prevention measures (part II-A) and additional guidance regarding the provisions for both (parts I-B and II-B). [10] The Code assigns three categories for ships depending on the operational conditions that the ship will face: Category A for ships designed to operate in polar waters with at least medium first-year ice (0.7 to 1.2 metres (28 to 47 in) thick), which may include old (multi-year) ice inclusions; Category B for ships not included in Category A and designed for operation in polar waters in at least thin first-year ice (0.3 to 0.7 metres (12 to 28 in) thick), which may include old ice inclusions; and Category C for ships designed to operate in open water or in ice conditions less severe than those included in categories A and B. [10]

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) developed the Polar Code, to cover the full range of design, construction, equipment, operational, training, search and rescue and environmental protection matters relevant to ships operating in the inhospitable waters surrounding the two poles. To cover these areas, the Code focuses on managing the hazards of Polar Waters through the use of "design goals and functional requirements." [11] For example, to ensure procedures for operations, including procedures for use of icebreakers, ships are required to possess a Polar Water Operational Manual (PWOM), as per Chapter 2 of the Code. [11]

The Code is not mandatory for ships less than 500 GT, fishing vessels or those entitled to sovereign immunity. Many environmental protections are already effective in Antarctica and not yet in effect in the Arctic. For example, A new regulation from MARPOL now protects the Antarctic from pollution by heavy grade oils. This measure was adopted by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), at its 60th session in March, 2010. The measure entered into force on 1 August 2011. [2] However, this regulation does not apply to Arctic ship operations.

Recent progress

On December 22, 2016 the Russian shuttle tanker Shturman Albanov became the first ship to be certified in compliance with the Polar Code. [12]

Criticism

Many industry bodies and environmental groups termed the final draft Polar code of 2014 as "too weak" and "diluted". The pollution restrictions in the arctic waters are even more lax than those in the Mediterranean Sea, allowing ships to throw food waste overboard in arctic waters 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) from ice. [13] The structural requirements too were found lax:[ by whom? ] for instance, being ice classed is not a requirements for ships making one arctic passage. Polar certification does not require a physical separate survey and the Polar Code allows this to be simply sent by email. [14]

The Polar Code does not address whole groups of vessels, as well as many known issues. Fishing vessels and those less than 500 GT do not need to comply with the Code. Air pollution and greenhouse gasses are not mentioned in the Polar Code. There are recommendations about ballast water management and anti-fouling paint which leave the choice to comply or not to the individual vessel. [15]

Related Research Articles

International Maritime Organization Specialised agency of the United Nations

The International Maritime Organization is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. The IMO was established following agreement at a UN conference held in Geneva in 1948 and the IMO came into existence ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959. Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, the IMO currently has 174 member states and three associate members.

MARPOL 73/78

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978 is one of the most important international marine environmental conventions. It was developed by the International Maritime Organization with an objective to minimize pollution of the oceans and seas, including dumping, oil and air pollution.

The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) is an internationally agreed-upon set of safety procedures, types of equipment, and communication protocols used to increase safety and make it easier to rescue distressed ships, boats and aircraft.

Canadian Coast Guard Government agency

The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue, communication, navigation, and transportation issues in Canadian waters, such as navigation aids and icebreaking, marine pollution response, and support for other Canadian government initiatives. The coast guard operates 119 vessels of varying sizes and 22 helicopters, along with a variety of smaller craft. The CCG is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, and is a special operating agency within Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

International Ship and Port Facility Security Code Maritime treaty

The International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code is an amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention (1974/1988) on Maritime security including minimum security arrangements for ships, ports and government agencies. Having come into force in 2004, it prescribes responsibilities to governments, shipping companies, shipboard personnel, and port/facility personnel to "detect security threats and take preventive measures against security incidents affecting ships or port facilities used in international trade."

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is an international maritime treaty which sets minimum safety standards in the construction, equipment and operation of merchant ships. The convention requires signatory flag states to ensure that ships flagged by them comply with at least these standards.

The flag state of a merchant vessel is the jurisdiction under whose laws the vessel is registered or licensed, and is deemed the nationality of the vessel. A merchant vessel must be registered and can only be registered in one jurisdiction, but may change the register in which it is registered. The flag state has the authority and responsibility to enforce regulations over vessels registered under its flag, including those relating to inspection, certification, and issuance of safety and pollution prevention documents. As a ship operates under the laws of its flag state, these laws are applicable if the ship is involved in an admiralty case.

The United States Coast Guard is the coastal defense, search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement branch of the United States Armed Forces and is one of the country's eight uniformed services. It carries out three basic roles, which are further subdivided into eleven statutory missions. The three roles are:

Nautical publications is a technical term used in maritime circles describing a set of publications, either published by national governments or by commercial and professional organisations, for use in safe navigation of ships, boats, and similar vessels. Other publications might cover topics such as seamanship and cargo operations. In the UK, the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, the Witherby Publishing Group and the Nautical Institute provide numerous navigational publications, including charts, publications on how to navigate and passage planning publications. In the US, publications are issued by the US government and US Coast Guard.

Ice class Notation assigned by a classification society or a national authority to denote the additional level of strengthening and other arrangements that enable a ship to navigate through sea ice

Ice class refers to a notation assigned by a classification society or a national authority to denote the additional level of strengthening as well as other arrangements that enable a ship to navigate through sea ice. Some ice classes also have requirements for the ice-going performance of the vessel.

Sector Commander is the position title of the commanding officer of a United States Coast Guard Sector, usually of the rank of Captain (O-6). The Sector Commander's second-in-command is the Deputy Sector Commander. Also reporting directly to the Sector Commander are the Command Master Chief (CMC), the Senior Reserve Officer, and the Sector's Auxiliary Coordinator.

In the United States, several federal agencies and laws have some jurisdiction over pollution from ships in U.S. waters. States and local government agencies also have responsibilities for ship-related pollution in some situations.

Polar Class (PC) refers to the ice class assigned to a ship by a classification society based on the Unified Requirements for Polar Class Ships developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). Seven Polar Classes are defined in the rules, ranging from PC 1 for year-round operation in all polar waters to PC 7 for summer and autumn operation in thin first-year ice.

The Erika legislative packages of the European Union are maritime laws intended to improve safety in the shipping industry and thereby reduce environmental damage to the oceans.

The Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) maintains a ship register of the Russian Federation, based in Saint Petersburg, and is a marine classification society. Its activities aim to enhance safety of navigation, safety of life at sea, security of ships, safe carriage of cargo, environmental safety of ships, prevention of pollution from ships, and performance of authorisations issued by maritime administrations and customers.

Arctic cooperation and politics

Arctic cooperation and politics are partially coordinated via the Arctic Council, composed of the eight Arctic nations: the United States of America, Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and Denmark with Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The dominant governmental power in Arctic policy resides within the executive offices, legislative bodies, and implementing agencies of the eight Arctic nations, and to a lesser extent other nations, such as United Kingdom, Germany, European Union and China. NGOs and academia play a large part in Arctic policy. Also important are intergovernmental bodies such as the United Nations and NATO.

Emission Control Areas (ECAs), or Sulfur Emission Control Areas (SECAs), are sea areas in which stricter controls were established to minimize airborne emissions from ships as defined by Annex VI of the 1997 MARPOL Protocol.

Arctic shipping routes

Arctic shipping routes are the maritime paths used by vessels to navigate through parts or the entirety of the Arctic. There are three main routes that connect the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans: the Northeast Passage, the Northwest Passage, and the mostly unused Transpolar Sea Route. In addition, two other significant routes exist: the Northern Sea Route, and the Arctic Bridge.

Ice navigation Specialist area of navigation

Ice navigation is a specialist area of navigation involving the use of maritime skills to determine and monitor the position of ships in cold waters, where ice is a hazard to the safety of navigation. The presence of sea ice requires a ship to exercise caution, for example by avoiding icebergs, slowly sailing through a lead, or by working with an icebreaker to follow a course through the ice to a destination. Additionally ships must also deal with the extreme cold of the climate in regions such as the poles; this involves removal of ice accumulation from the ship, as well as protecting the crew from the elements while working on the deck. Ships and their crews operating in ice will follow established rules of seamanship, as well as complying with national and international regulations such as the Polar Code.

Heavy fuel oil Fuel oils of a tar-like consistency

Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) is a category of fuel oils of a tar-like consistency. Also known as bunker fuel, or residual fuel oil, HFO is the result or remnant from the distillation and cracking process of petroleum. For this reason, HFO is contaminated with several different compounds including aromatics, sulfur and nitrogen, making emission upon combustion more polluting compared to other fuel oils. HFO is predominantly used as a fuel source for marine vessel propulsion due to its relatively low cost compared to cleaner fuel sources such as distillates. The use and carriage of HFO on-board vessels presents several environmental concerns, namely the risk of oil spill and the emission of toxic compounds and particulates including black carbon. Presently, the use of HFOs is banned as a fuel source for ships travelling in the Antarctic as part of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters. For similar reasons, an HFO ban in Arctic waters is currently being considered.

References

  1. 1 2 Mathiesen, Karl (November 21, 2014). "Polar code agreed to prevent Arctic environmental disasters". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2014-11-23. Retrieved Nov 24, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Shipping in polar waters". IMO. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "Milestone for polar protection as comprehensive new ship regulations come into force". IMO. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  4. 1 2 The Ice Navigation Manual. Edinburgh: Witherby Publishing Group. 2019. p. 146. ISBN   9781856098335.
  5. ↑ IMO. "GUIDELINES FOR SHIPS OPERATING IN ARCTIC ICE-COVERED WATERS" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-12-25. Retrieved 2012-06-29.
  6. ↑ IMO. "GUIDELINES FOR SHIPS OPERATING IN POLAR WATERS" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-06-29.
  7. ↑ IMO. "Report of the Working Group" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-06-29.
  8. ↑ IMO. "DE 56/25" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-06-29.
  9. ↑ Deggim, H. "Polar Code PPT" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-06-29.
  10. 1 2 The Ice Navigation Manual. Edinburgh: Witherby Publishing Group. 2019. p. 148. ISBN   9781856098335.
  11. 1 2 The Ice Navigation Manual. Edinburgh: Witherby Publishing Group. 2019. p. 149. ISBN   9781856098335.
  12. ↑ Schuler, Mike (December 28, 2016). "Russian Shuttle Tanker Becomes First Ship Certified to IMO's Polar Code". The Maritime Executive. Archived from the original on December 29, 2016. A Russian arctic shuttle tanker has become the first ship to be certified in compliance with the International Maritime Organization’s upcoming Polar Code regulations for the improved safety of ships operating in the polar regions. The Shturman Albanov received a Polar Ship Certificate issued by the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping on December 22, 2016 . The certificate confirms the vessel is in compliance with the requirements of the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters, more commonly referred to as the Polar Code.
  13. ↑ "Polar Code too weak to properly protect polar environments from increased shipping activity". Seas at risk. 21 November 2014. Archived from the original on 17 March 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  14. ↑ Haun, Eric (21 November 2014). "Environmental Groups: IMO Polar Code Too Weak". Marine Link. Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  15. ↑ skachakov (April 5, 2016). "International code of safety for ships operating in polar waters (Polar Code)". Archived from the original on April 27, 2016.

Bibliography

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