Mapping and analysis of maritime accidents in the Russian Arctic through the lens of the Polar Code and POLARIS system

Abstract

Over the last decade, more than 500 maritime accidents have been reported in the Arctic, and the political will of the Russian government to develop the Northern Sea Route (NSR) for the exportation of raw materials may lead to a rise of such events. However, data on insurance claims in the Russian Arctic are rather sketchy and not up-dated which has hindered accurate analysis so far.Based on empirical data collection throughout the period 2004–2017, the study gathers, classifies and maps certain ‘marine casualties’ and ‘incidents’ that occurred along the NSR until the Polar Code enforcement. Three maritime events are scrutinized through the lens of the Polar Code risk mitigation tools and POLARIS system in order to determine if the joint use of these new prophylactic instruments would have prevented their occurrence.As preliminary results, the research identifies the primary causes of identified maritime accidents that occurred in the Russian Arctic and provides their categorization in accordance with IMO standards. It appears that serious ‘marine casualties’ represent the greatest number of insurance claims. Shedding light on the type of risk occurrence a ship may face along the NSR, it brings valuable implications for maritime operators who are still awaiting historical data for more realistic risk assessment. Finally, it demonstrates that the combination of the Polar Code and POLARIS system is an appropriate tool for risk mitigation and encourages stakeholders to implement best practices for Arctic shipping in their common interest.