Application of the IMO taxonomy on casualty investigation: Analysis of 20 years of marine accidents along the North-East Passage

Abstract

In the context of global warming and ice melting in the Arctic Ocean, maritime activities have significantly increased over recent years. However, the Arctic remains a wild and risky region where marine accidents regularly occur. Despite the difficulty in compiling relevant data on Arctic shipping casualties, we have identified 156 accidents along the North-East Passage (NEP) over the last twenty years. Following a data-driven approach, we combine multiple sources and use the standardized International Maritime Organization (IMO) taxonomy on casualty investigation. We disclose and classify the concerned cases by severity level, cause, age, and type of vessels. We draw the profile of the vessels with the highest accidentology level, ascertain the high-risk areas and the seasons with the highest accident rate. Our results stress that serious casualties represent the largest part of the accidents occurring in this area. Fishing vessels show the highest accident rate, and machinery issues are one of the most common accident types. Furthermore, the NEP accidentology during the last two decades does not seem to decline unlike the downward trend elsewhere around the globe. Finally, we call for greater reporting of marine accidents and compliance with the IMO risk classification to better understand accidentology in this growing shipping zone. A plea in favor of stricter enforcement of the Polar Code and a holistic risk-based policy combining mandatory and non-mandatory measures are notably suggested to prevent casualties in the near future.