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Senator wants new icebreakers in Arctic Murkowski urges international cooperation, supports involvement in international initiatives, stresses importance of Arctic to Alaska Alan Bailey Petroleum News
In a July 10 speech at the National Ice Center and U.S. Arctic Research Commission’s “Impact of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations” symposium, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, appealed for international cooperation in dealing with the effects of a warming Arctic climate. Continuing reductions in sea ice would likely open sea routes through the Arctic for trade between Asia and Europe, as well as facilitating access to Arctic marine resources, she said.
“The prospect of increased shipping through the Arctic raises some important implications for the regional and global economy, for the coastal communities and for marine resources. … Maritime activities relating to the transportation of goods, oil and gas, tourism and research will surely increase as the marine access to the Arctic Ocean increases,” Murkowski said. “This represents perhaps the greatest challenge and need for international cooperation.”
Very important Murkowski emphasized the importance of U.S. Arctic seas to both the United States and Alaska. And global climate change is particularly impacting the Arctic, she said.
“This is a crucial issue in Alaska because of the Inupiat people that have lived off the land in this region for thousands of years,” Murkowski said. “For the most part these people have continued to practice a subsistence lifestyle, while also integrating modern technology and convenience into their lives. And the changes that are occurring in the Arctic are being felt and expressed by the residents of the region”
This new situation in the Arctic Ocean will require “enhanced environmental protection and marine safety measures,” Murkowski said. Any new domestic and international legislation, and international guidelines, must balance freedom of navigation with security, safety and environmental policies.
Arctic Council Murkowski urged continuing U.S. involvement in the Arctic Council, an international forum that seeks cooperation, coordination and interaction between Arctic states, indigenous communities and other Arctic residents. The council is about to publish an assessment of Arctic oil and gas resources, Murkowski said.
“Norway has just taken over the chairmanship of the Council and one of their priorities is a review of the Arctic Council structure and discussion of whether the Arctic Council could be a forum to develop a binding legal regime for the Arctic,” Murkowski said. “It will be crucial that the United States fully engage in this discussion about governance of the Arctic.”
And Murkowski also urged that the United States should ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, an international treaty establishing rules for all aspects of ocean use (President Bush and Sen. Ted Stevens have already both urged ratification of the convention).
“I believe it is very important for the United States to be a party to this treaty and be a player in the process, rather then an outsider hoping our interests are not damaged,” Murkowski said. “Accession to the convention would give current and future administrations both enhanced credibility and leverage in calling upon other nations to meet convention responsibilities. One of the major issues of potential impact on Alaska is in making a claim for an extended continental shelf. Russia submitted a claim in 2002 that would grant them 45 percent of the Arctic Ocean’s bottom resources. If the United States were to become a party to the treaty, the U.S. stands to lay claim to an area in the Arctic of about 45,000 square kilometers, or approximately the size of California.”
Observing network Murkowski also said that the United States needs to invest in the Integrated Arctic Observing Network, a global network of observation systems.
“It is currently very difficult to thoroughly describe current conditions in the Arctic or understand the changes that are underway,” Murkowski said. “Both the scientific community and residents of the Arctic would greatly benefit from an international environmental observing network that would be built on and enhance existing national and international efforts. Other Arctic nations are in the developmental stage of their observing systems and the United States needs to be a part of this global network.”
And in support of Arctic research, Murkowski argued for the construction of new U.S. icebreakers. In particular, the U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers Polar Sea and Polar Star need replacement, she said.
“One of the key areas I believe the United States government should invest in is replacing their aging Polar icebreaker fleet,” Murkowski said. “Both the Polar Sea and Polar Star are reaching the end of their service lives and without a plan or funds for an extension of the program U.S. icebreaking capability is at risk.”
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