Shipping Activities and Potential Environmental Impacts

Commercial, scientific and Canadian Coast Guard operations comprise the majority of shipping activity in the Canadian Arctic. These activities, ranging from a ship's passage to tourist on-ice excursions, inevitably have some impact on the environment of the Arctic.

Icebreaking Transit

As a ship passes through ice, pieces of the surrounding ice sheet are broken off and drawn back and downwards into the wake of the ship. The ship's track is therefore characterized by an accumulation of various sizes and concentrations of ice fragments.

The type of ice through which the ship travels has much bearing on the lasting effects of the passage. For instance, tracks will close very quickly (within a few ship lengths) in fast ice and will not close at all under conditions of broken ice.

The time of year dictates ice growth rates. Consequently, tracks created in winter and spring are reconsolidated very quickly and permit safe crossing of the ice for animals and humans in a short period of time. In late spring and summer, refreezing will not occur. The track will remain open and any migratory or hunting routes will be broken for an extended time.

A primary concern of icebreaking activities in the Arctic is the effect of ship traffic on the stability of ice edges, particularly during break-up and freeze-up. Ship tracks may, in the case of break-up, cause the edge/bridge to collapse earlier than normal and advance the break-up of the fast ice in general. During freeze-up, continued transits may destroy or delay the formation of new ice edges, preventing the natural development of the fast ice cover. Resultant effects may include disruptions of migratory and hunting routes as well as a change in the natural concentration grounds of many species.

More information on this topic is available in the Icebreakers Section.

Open Water Transit

The majority of shipping activity in the Arctic occurs in open water or in areas of low ice concentrations. There is no detrimental effect of such activity on the water or ice in those areas. However, it is vitally important that the vessels maintain safe distances from environmentally sensitive wildlife communities.

Small Vessel Operations

Many ships in the Arctic carry other work boats or other independent small crafts that venture away from the mother ship. The high frequency sound of such vessels is very disruptive to local wildlife and every effort must be taken to avoid wildlife habitats where harm could result.

Helicopter Flight

A few ships in the Arctic carry helicopters to be used for a wide variety of purposes. The sound emitted by helicopters may be heard from a substantial distance and may be quite disturbing to wildlife in the vicinity. Therefore, helicopters should avoid wildlife habitat areas where harm could result.

On-Ice Vehicles

Indigenous people often use vehicles such as snowmobiles. The sound and frequency emitted by those vehicles is so low as to have little effect on the local wildlife. However, every attempt should be made to give a wide berth to wildlife habitats.

Cargo Transfer Activities

General cargo ships, bulk carriers, oil tankers, offshore supply vessels and tug/barge combinations all operate in the Arctic. All engage in some form of cargo tranfer which could, if not carefully carried out, result in pollution of the environment. All such transfers are carried out under the supervision of the Canadian Coast Guard and most are conducted pursuant to a variety of regulations.

Types of Potential Impacts