Arctic Shipping : Climate Change, Commercial Traffic and Port Development

This book considers both the present state of Arctic shipping and possible future trends with reference to the various sectors of maritime transportation: cruise tourism, container traffic and bulk shipping. Ports are analysed as tools that support the strategies of coastal states to foster the development of resource extraction, enhance the attractiveness of Arctic shipping lanes and enable the control of maritime activities through coast guard deployment.

The aim of this book is to draw a picture of the trends of Arctic shipping. How is traffic evolving in Canada’s Arctic, or along the Northern Sea Route? Are there significant differences between bulk and container shipping segments when considering the Arctic market? How are the ports and the hinterland developing and what are the strategies behind those? How is the legal framework shaping the evolution of maritime transportation? The contributors to this book consider all of these questions, and more, as they map out the prospects for Arctic shipping and analyse in detail the development of Arctic shipping as a result of multi-variable interactions.

This book will be key reading for industry professionals and post-graduate students alike.

Frédéric Lasserre is Professor in the Geography Department at Laval University, Canada and heads the Quebec Council for Geopolitical Studies. He was Project Director with Canada’s ArcticNet research network between 2010 and 2015.

Olivier Faury is an Assistant Professor at EM Normandie in Le Havre. He completed his PhD in 2016 on the economics elements that may increase the attractiveness of the Northern Sea Route comparing to the Suez Canal Route. Since July 2016, he has been working on the Arctic with a focus on the legal, risk, shipping and port parameters.