Arctic State Information

Canada

Transport Canada Marine Safety Publications (Arctic Specific)

• Arctic Ice Regime Shipping System (AIRSS) Standard: http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/tp-tp12259-menu-605.htm
• Arctic Ice Regime Shipping System – Pictorial Guide: http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/tp-tp14044-menu-4544.html
• User Assistance Package for the Implementation of Arctic ice Regime Shipping System (AIRSS): http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/tp-tp12819-menu-1338.htm
• Guidelines for Passenger Vessels Operating in the Canadian Arctic: http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/guidelines-passenger-vessels-operating-canadian-arctic-tp13670e.html
• Survival in Cold Waters: http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/tp-tp13822-menu-610.htm
• Arctic Waters Oil Transfer Guidelines: https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/tp-tp10783-menu-1292.htm
• How to Meet STCW Requirements for Masters, Deck Officers, and other Crew members of Certain Canadian Ships Operating in Polar Waters, Ship Safety Bulletin 01/2018

Transport Canada Acts and Regulations (Arctic Specific)

• Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/A-12/
• Arctic Shipping Safety and Pollution Prevention Regulations: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2017-286/index.html
• Shipping Safety Control Zones Order: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.,_c._356/index.html
• Northern Canada Vessel Traffic Services Zone Regulations: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2010-127/index.html

Other

• Transport Canada Arctic Shipping Website: https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/debs-arctic-menu-303.htm
• Canadian Ice Service’s Website: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/ice-forecasts-observations/latest-conditions.html
• Manual of Ice (MANICE): https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/debs-arctic-menu-303.htm
• Ice Glossary: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/ice-forecasts-observations/latest-conditions/glossary.html
• Ice Navigation in Canadian Waters: http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/folios/00913/docs/ice-navigation-dans-les-galces-eng.pdf
• Notices to Mariners (NOTMAR): https://www.notmar.gc.ca/index-en.php
• Notices to Shipping: https://www.notmar.gc.ca/index-en.php
• Weather, climate and hazards: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather.html
• Aids to Marine Navigation, Canadian Coast Guard (issued seasonally)
• Thirty Day Forecast, Canadian Ice Service
• Understanding and Identifying Old Ice in Summer, National Research Council of Canada
• Winter Navigation on the River and Gulf of St. Lawrence: Practical Notebook for Marine Engineers and Deck Officers (TP 14335)
• Guidelines for Assessing Ice Operational Risk (TP 15383)
• Cold Weather Marine Survival Guide (TP 11690)
• Marine Survival Handbook for Cold Regions (TP 11969)

Kingdom of Denmark

• Relevant information in the form of national and international orders, regulations and guidelines that may help to navigate the Arctic region in a safe manner:
  • https://www.dma.dk/SikkerhedTilSoes/Arktis/SejladsGroenland/Sider/default.aspx
• From the Danish Maritime Institute, this page containes icecharts in Greenland and weather forecasts:
  • https://www.dmi.dk/groenland/
• This page, from the Danish Geodata Agency contains their information on navigation in Greenland
  • http://eng.navigation.gl/
• Contact information:
  • https://www.dmi.dk/gronland/is/kontaktoplysninger/

Polar Ship Certificates:

• Denmark: 2 ships (tanker and AHTS ship)
• Faroe Islands: 1 ship

Iceland

Hyperlink 1: Icelandic Transport Authority
The Icelandic Transport Authority manages the administration of transport affairs and conducts oversight pertaining to aviation, maritime affairs, traffic and safety oversight of transport structures and navigation. The Icelandic Transport Authority issues certificates to seafarares and is responsible for Port State Control and Flag State Control and manages the Icelandic ship registry.

Hyperlink 2: Maritimes Acts and Regulations in English
A list of acts and regulations related to shipping in Icelandic waters from the Icelandic Transport Authority.

Hyperlink 3: Guidelines for masters of cruise and passenger ships arriving in Iceland (2019)
Joint guidelines from the Icelandic Transport Authority, the Icelandic Coast Guard and the Environment Agency of Iceland to:
- ensure that the masters of cruise and passenger ships comply with Icelandic laws and regulations.
- ensure that passenger ship tours and itineraries at sea and on land do not violate nature conservation and environmental laws of Iceland; and to
- to draw the attention of masters of passenger ships to the safety of their vessels and their passengers when visiting Iceland.

Hyperlink 4: The Icelandic Coast Guard
The Icelandic Coast Guard (ICG) is a civilian law enforcement agency that is responsible for search and rescue, maritime safety and security surveillance, and law enforcement in the seas surrounding Iceland.

Hyperlink 5: The Environment Agency of Iceland
The Environment Agency operates under the direction of the Ministry for the Environment. It's role is to promote the protection as well as sustainable use of Iceland’s natural resources, as well as public welfare by helping to ensure a healthy environment, and safe consumer goods. The Agency is responsible for implementing the MARPOL convention.

Other links:

• Information on Weather and Sea State:
  • http://www.vegagerdin.is/vs/Content_1016.aspx?la=en
  • http://www.vegagerdin.is/vs/Today.aspx?la=en
  • Contact e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Waves Weather Tides – North Atlantic:
  • http://www.vegagerdin.is/vs/ArealKort.aspx
  • Contact e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Icelandic Met Office:
  • http://en.vedur.is/about-imo/mission/
  • http://en.vedur.is/
  • Contact e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Polar Ship Certificates: 
The Icelandic Transport Authority has not yet issued any Polar Ship Certificates pursuant to the provision of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). The reason is that no SOLAS ships are currently registered on the Icelandic Ship Register one Polar Ship Certificate.

Finland

• Certificates of proficiency in training for ships operating in polar waters (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom):
  • https://www.traficom.fi/en/transport/maritime/maritime-certificates-proficiency
    
• Winter navigation in Finland (Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency):
  
  • https://vayla.fi/web/en/merchant-shipping/winter-navigation
    
• Snow and Sea-Ice in the northern hemisphere (Finnish Meteorological Institute):
  
  • https://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/arctic-now
    
• Arctic Space Centre of the Finnish Meteorological Institute:
  
  • https://fmiarc.fmi.fi/
    
• Finland as a global leader in icebreaker design, polar shipbuilding, ice technology, and fleet operation (Business Finland):
  
  • https://www.businessfinland.fi/en/do-business-with-finland/explore-finland/maritime/icebreakers-and-ice-going-vessels/
    
• Polar Code Combined Training (Maritime Training Center Aboa Mare):
  
  • https://www.aboamare.fi/polar-code-training
    
• Icebreaker operator and maritime service provider Arctia Ltd.:
  
  • https://www.arctia.fi/en/services/icebreaking/international-icebreaking.html
    
• Finnish Shipowners' Association:
  
  • https://shipowners.fi/en/responsibility/safety/the-polar-code/
    

Polar ship certificates
2 ships: Icebreakers MSV Fennica and MSV Nordica, owned and operated by Arctia Ltd. (Polar Code certified with PC3 notation)

Norway

• Contact persons:
  • Polar Code ( international regulations) Ms. Turid Stemre (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
  • National implementation of the Polar Code: Ms. Bodil Pedersen (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
• Ban on Heavy Fuel Oil in Svalbard: https://www.sysselmannen.no/en/heavy-fuel-oil-ban-in-the-protected-areas/
  • This page contains information from the Governor of Svalbard on the ban of heavy fuel oil. It is banned to use and/or carry it in specific waters around Svalbard.
• Link to the reports from SARex excersices:
  • 2016: https://uis.brage.unit.no/uis-xmlui/handle/11250/2414815
  • 2017: https://uis.brage.unit.no/uis-xmlui/handle/11250/2468805
  • 2018: https://uis.brage.unit.no/uis-xmlui/handle/11250/2578301
• New Regulations on the construction, equipment and operation of passenger ships in the territorial waters surrounding Svalbard:
  • Circular about the regulations
  • Regulations - full text

Other information:

• Norwegian Coastal Administration website: http://www.kystverket.no/en
• Search and rescue in the Norwegian area of responsibility: https://www.barentswatch.no/en/articles/Search-and-rescue-in-the-Norwegian-area-of-responsibility/
• Norwegian rescue services: https://www.hovedredningssentralen.no/english/
• BarentsWatch: https://www.barentswatch.no/en/
• Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Sea and High North areas: https://www.met.no/en/Sea-and-High-North-areas
• Governor of Svalbard: https://www.sysselmannen.no/en/
• Specific rules for passenger vessels operating in Svalbard:
  https://www.sdir.no/en/shipping/vessels/vessel-types/passenger-vessels/rules-for-passenger-ships-on-svalbard/

Sweden

• Contact details for ship certificates: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• General contact details to the Swedish Transport Agency: https://www.transportstyrelsen.se/en/contact-us/
• General link to shipping: https://www.transportstyrelsen.se/en/shipping/
• Sweden has extensive involvement in Baltic shipping. We suggest looking at this link of the Swedish Maritime Administration which may have helpful guidance for ice operations that my be relevant to Arctic operations.
  • http://www.sjofartsverket.se/en/Maritime-services/Winter-Navigation/Winter-Navigation/

Polar Ship Certificates

As of August 19 2019, the Swedish Transport Agency, under the authority of the Government of Sweden, has issued one Polar Ship Certificate under the provision of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, and another two has been issued by classification societies, through delegation from the Swedish Transport Agency.

• Name of vessel: Freya av Skattegården*
  • Port of registry: Göteborg (Gothenburg)
  • IMO number: 7912020
  • Shipowner: Skattegården Hangelösa AB
  • Call sign: SCDI
  • Gross tonnage: 674
  • Ship type: Other
    * Previously: Freya af Göteborg
• Name of vessel: Bonito, (SFNG)
  • IMO-no: 9255270
  • Gross tonnage 15980
  • Ship type: Tanker for chemicals & oil products
  • Ice class (1A*)
• Name of vessel: Oden, (SMLQ)
  • IMO-no 8700876
  • Gross tonnage 9605
  • Ship type: Ice-Breaker
  • Solas-II-2

Russian Federation

• Rules of navigation in the water area of Northern Sea Route
•  The Russian Federal Law of Shipping in the Water Area of the Northern Sea Route
• Application for Admission and Enclosure to navigate in the Northern Sea Route Area
• Information about icebreaker assistance and ice pilotage
• Navigational and weather information
• Search and rescue, Prevention of pollution by oil, and;
• Contact information

The Baltic Icebreaking Management - Training and Courses 
This website contains information on ice navigation course providers, schedules and course program, and ice training movies.

Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute of Russia
This website contains generalized maps of the ice conditions of the Arctic Ocean, and other ice information (in Russian).

Polar Ship Certificates
As at the end 2018, on behalf of the Russian Maritime Administration, namely the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (hereinafter - RS) has been issued 61 Polar Ship Certificates for ships under the flag of the Russian Federation and ships to the RS class with total gross tonnage 689215.

Among them 20 Certificates has been issued for Category A ships (GT 473016), 22 20 Certificates - for Category B ships (GT 140544) and 19 Certificates - for Category C ships (GT 75655),

The type of ships, for which have been issued the Polar Ship Certificates: general cargo ships, oil tankers, passenger ships, icebreakers, salvage ships, supply ships, tugs, research ships, reefer ships, dredger ships.

The ships, for which has been issued the Polar Ship Certificates, have different ice classes of RS, which is equivalent to Category A, B and C ships as its defined by Polar Code and which are operated in polar water. Ships, which have not ice class or ice strengthening, have been issued the Polar Ship Certificates as for Category C ships with the relevant restriction of navigation (open water or separate ice).

United States of America