ARCTIC LAW & POLICY YEAR IN REVIEW: 2017 | TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION: ARCTIC NEWS HIGHLIGHTS ..................................................................................... 5 II. TREATIES AND Other INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS ....................................................................... 9 A. U.N. CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA. ................................................................................. 9 B. U.N. FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC). .......................................... 10 C. INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR PREVENTION OF POLLUTION FROM SHIPS (MARPOL). 11 D. BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT CONVENTION ........................................................................ 12 E. ARCTIC COUNCIL AGREEMENT ON COOPERATION ON MARINE OIL POLLUTION PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE IN THE ARCTIC. ................................................................................. 13 F. ARCTIC COUNCIL AGREEMENT ON COOPERATION ON AERONAUTICAL AND MARITIME SEARCH AND RESCUE IN THE ARCTIC ..................................................................................................... 13 G. ARCTIC COUNCIL AGREEMENT ON ENHANCING INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION ........................................................................................................................................... 13 H. DECLARATION CONCERNING THE PREVENTION OF UNREGULATED HIGH SEAS FISHING IN THE CENTRAL ARCTIC OCEAN. ................................................................................................................. 14 III. STATE PRACTICE .................................................................................................................................... 14 A. UNITED STATES: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ...................................................................................... 14 1. U.S. CONGRESS ........................................................................................................................... 14 2. PRESIDENT ................................................................................................................................... 15 3. DEPARTMENT OF STATE ............................................................................................................ 16 4. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY/U.S. COAST GUARD ............................................ 16 5. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE / NOAA .................................................................................... 22 6. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR / BOEM / BSEE / USGS .............................................................. 23 7. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ....................................................................................................... 26 8. NASA ............................................................................................................................................. 28 9. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ............................................................................... 28 10. SIGNIFICANT U.S. COURT DECISIONS ...................................................................................... 28 2 11. U.S. ARCTIC RESEARCH COMMISSION ..................................................................................... 29 12. NATIONAL OCEAN COUNCIL ..................................................................................................... 30 13. COMMITTEE ON THE MARINE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM .................................................. 30 14. NATIONAL ACADEMIES TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD .......................................... 31 B. UNITED STATES: ALASKA ................................................................................................................... 31 1. STATE OF ALASKA ....................................................................................................................... 31 C. CANADA ............................................................................................................................................... 34 D. CHINA ............................................................................................................................................... 36 E. DENMARK / GREENLAND / FAROE ISLANDS ................................................................................... 38 F. FINLAND .............................................................................................................................................. 39 G. ICELAND ........................................................................................................................................... 39 H. JAPAN ............................................................................................................................................... 40 I. NORWAY .............................................................................................................................................. 41 J. RUSSIA ................................................................................................................................................. 43 K. SCOTLAND ........................................................................................................................................... 47 L. SOUTH KOREA .................................................................................................................................... 47 M. SWEDEN ........................................................................................................................................... 48 N. EUROPEAN UNION ......................................................................................................................... 49 O. UNITED KINGDOM ......................................................................................................................... 50 IV. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ........................................................................................................ 50 A. UNITED NATIONS ............................................................................................................................... 50 B. ARCTIC COUNCIL ................................................................................................................................ 51 C. INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION (IMO) ...................................................................... 55 D. FAO COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES (COFI) ....................................................................................... 58 E. INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION (IWC) ........................................................................... 59 F. NORTH ATLANTIC MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION (NAMMCO) ............................................... 60 G. COMMISSION ON LIMITS OF THE CONTINENTAL SHELF (CLCS) ............................................. 60 H. UNESCO / IOC / ICES / PICES ......................................................................................................... 64 I. WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION ....................................................................................................... 65 3 J. INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNALS ............................................................................................................ 66 K. UNITED NATONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM (UNEP) ................................................................... 68 V. SELECTED ARCTIC THEMES ...................................................................................................................... 68 A. ARCTIC MARINE SHIPPING ................................................................................................................ 68 1. PROGNOSIS FOR ARCTIC SHIPPING ......................................................................................... 69 2. ARCTIC MARINE SHIPPING ASSESSMENT ................................................................................ 70 3. ARCTIC SHIPPING ROUTES. ....................................................................................................... 71 4. INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS ON SHIPPING SAFETY ......................................................... 74 5. ARCTIC SHIPPING SAFETY MEASURES ..................................................................................... 75 B. POLAR ICEBREAKERS ......................................................................................................................... 77 C. ARCTIC LIVING MARINE RESOURCES ............................................................................................... 82 D. ARCTIC NON-LIVING MARINE RESOURCES ................................................................................. 87 E. MARINE POLLUTION PREVENTION, RESPONSE & LIABILITY ........................................................ 92 F. ARCTIC MARINE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH .......................................................................................... 92 G. INDIGENOUS ARCTIC RESIDENTS ................................................................................................. 94 H. MILITARY ACTIVITIES IN THE ARCTIC ........................................................................................... 95 VI. UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON ALPI NEW DEVELOPMENTS ............................................................ 99 VII. SELECTED CONFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 99 4 I. INTRODUCTION: ARCTIC NEWS HIGHLIGHTS According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s