Research of Legal Status and Navigation Regime of Arctic Shipping Lanes

177 Pages·2016·2.6 MB·English

Research of Legal Status and
Navigation Regime of Arctic
Shipping Lanes

Yue Yu

Faculty of Law

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

University of Akureyri
2016 1

20XX
Research of Legal Status and
Navigation Regime of Arctic
Shipping Lanes

Yue Yu

60 ECTS thesis submitted in
partial fulfillment of the degree of
Master of Arts in Polar Law (MA)

Advisor(s)
Tore Henriksen

Faculty of Law
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
University of Akureyri
Akureyri, March 2016

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Research of Legal Status and Navigation Regime of Arctic Shipping
Lanes
60 ECTS thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the degree of Master
of Arts in Polar Law (MA)

Copyright © 2016 03 YueYu
All rights reserved

Faculty of Law
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
University of Akureyri
Sólborg, Norðurslóð 2
600 Akureyri

Telephone: [phone]

Bibliographic information:
Yue Yu, 2016, Research of Legal Status and Navigation Regime of
Arctic Shipping Lanes, Master’s thesis, Faculty of Law, University of
Akureyri, pp. 167

Printing: 3
Akureyri, March 2016
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Abstract
As the thawing of the sea ice within the Arctic Ocean, the Arctic is facing
tremendous changes, including environment, economy, industry, culture and
many other areas. As the sea ice decreasing, the Arctic region is becoming a
“new world” opening its gate to the whole world. The most obvious aspect
is about Arctic shipping issues. The Arctic Ocean is locating on special
geographical point which closely connecting the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific
Ocean. Furthermore, the Arctic Ocean has shorter shipping lanes between
Asia and Europe compared to the traditional way. Just because of this, the
ice-free sea areas make the Arctic shipping lanes becoming available and
even frequently used. Considering the great demand of trade between
continents, the Arctic passage will play an important role in the near future.
Because of the unique environment conditions, ships using Arctic passage
should rely on the assistance of coastal States. Like the shipping canal and
ice-breaker leading. Also the Arctic environment and other aspects are
closely linked with coastal States. There are 5 coastal States around the
Arctic Ocean. Russia and Canada have the longest coastal lines around
Arctic Ocean. In this article, researches are mainly surrounding these two
States and the legal documents of these two States will be regarded as
important basis.
The attitudes of Canada and Russia toward the Northwest-passage and
Northern Sea Route are very important. It possibly impacts the shipping
activities in the Arctic Ocean. More than that, how the domestic regulation
will be extended to apply on foreign ships is also relating question.
The Northwest-passage and Northern Sea Route could be considered as
straits used for international navigation. It prefers to apply international
navigation institution in Arctic Ocean. Therefore, they need to apply transit
passing right or other rights in the Arctic shipping lanes according to the
international laws.
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In this article, at first, I will introduce basic information of Arctic shipping
lanes. And then current legislation situations of coastal States will follow
behind. The legislation situations are mainly reflected from legal documents
of Canada and Russia.
The main question of the article is whether the Arctic shipping lanes could
be considered as straits used for international navigation. I will focus on the
definition of strait used for international navigation and its application
conditions. After that, I try to analysis the two claims from Canada and
Russia. Try to analysis whether these two claims are reasonable. The main
basis is definition and criteria of the international strait and also
international law. And then I try to give an appropriate solution.
The significance of this topic is the ambiguous legal status and navigation
regime of Arctic shipping lanes hindered the development of Arctic passing
and global business rising. The Arctic region becomes hot and hot. The
development of the Arctic region is now standing on the crisscross. The
Arctic shipping lanes issues like a match striking in the dark. It will make
the Arctic attractive and glare.
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Contents
Acronyms / Abbreviations ....................................................................................... I
Table of Treaties ..................................................................................................... II
1. The basic information about Arctic shipping lanes ......................................... 1
1.1 The general situation about Arctic shipping lanes .......................................... 2
1.1.1 The background of Northwest Passage ................................................... 3
1.1.2 The background of Northern Sea Route .................................................. 7
1.2 The main focuses on Arctic passage .............................................................. 11
2. The current legislation status about foreign vessels using Arctic shipping
lanes ....................................................................................................................... 13
2.1 The Canadian legislation and Arctic policy .................................................. 16
2.1.1 The initial requirement claiming by Canada ......................................... 16
2.1.2 Introduction about the Sector Theory .................................................... 17
2.1.3 Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act ................................................. 18
2.1.4 Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of
the United States of America on Arctic Cooperation ...................................... 23
2.1.5 Northern Canada Vessel Traffic Reporting Arctic Canada Traffic Zone
(NORDREG) .................................................................................................. 28
2.1.6 Assessment of Canadian Arctic legislation ............................................ 35
2.2 The Russian legislation and Arctic policy .................................................... 37
2.2.1 The former period claims of Russia about the high north ..................... 37
2.2.2 The USSR period .................................................................................. 38
2.2.3 The post-Soviet Period .......................................................................... 40
2.2.4 Russian Federation Federal Law on Amendments 2012 ....................... 41
2.2.5 Rules of Navigation on the Water Area of the Northern Sea Route ...... 45
2.3 The other policies or attitudes of interest States or organizations ................ 51
2.3.1 The attitude of U.S. on Arctic shipping lanes ........................................ 51
2.3.2 The attitude of European Union on Arctic shipping lanes ..................... 52
2.3.3. The Asian States and Arctic shipping lanes .......................................... 54
2.3.4 The attitudes of Canada and Russian Federation toward each other ..... 55
2.3.5 The Arctic Council description on Arctic shipping ............................... 56
3. The Arctic shipping lanes and historical water .............................................. 58
3.1 The constituents of “historical waters” and “historic” title .......................... 58
3.2 The legitimacy of the “historical waters” claims of Canada and Russia ...... 64
4. Whether Arctic shipping lanes are International Strait? .............................. 68
4.1 The basic institution on International Strait .................................................. 68
4.1.2 The Corfu Channel Case ....................................................................... 73
4.1.3 The straits institution of Convention on the Territorial Sea and the
Contiguous Zone ............................................................................................ 78
4.1.4 The institution of International Straits established by United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea ................................................................. 81
4.2 Whether the Arctic shipping lanes could be considered as International
Straits? ................................................................................................................ 96
4.2.1 How to definite certain strait as International Straits? ........................... 96
4.2.2 Whether Northwest Passage could be regarded as International Straits
...................................................................................................................... 100
4.2.3 Whether Northern Sea Route could be regarded as International Straits
...................................................................................................................... 102
4.3 Summary .................................................................................................... 103
5. The Arctic shipping lanes and the straight baseline of coastal States ........ 106
5.1 Background ................................................................................................ 107
5.2 Why States keen to drawing straight baseline? -- The advantages of the
straight baseline ................................................................................................ 109
5.3 The legal basis from international law about straight base line ................... 113
5.4 The Canada base line regulation .................................................................. 118
5.4.1 Whether the Canadian base lines completed with the geographical
criteria of the Fishery Case........................................................................... 120
5.4.2 Whether the Canadian straight line exposed to the oppositions or
negations from other States .......................................................................... 128
5.5 The legitimacy of Russian straight baselines .............................................. 131
5.6 Brief summary ............................................................................................ 140
6. The future of the Arctic shipping and feasible alternative to the Arctic .... 144
6.1 How to eliminate the environment issues concerned by the Arctic coastal
States ................................................................................................................ 145
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6.1.1 What are the environment issues concerned by the Arctic coastal States
...................................................................................................................... 146
6.1.2 Solutions about eliminate the worries of the coastal States ................. 149
6.2 How to eliminate the national strategic interests concerned by the Arctic
coastal States .................................................................................................... 155
6.3 The backsides of the protection mechanism ............................................... 157
7. Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 159
7.1 Current passing regimes are not clear and not suitable for the Arctic ........ 159
7.2 The Arctic shipping lanes could be considered as strait used for international
navigation ......................................................................................................... 160
7.3 The straight baseline claims made by coast States are not tenable ............. 162
7.4 New changes are needed for the Arctic and also for the shipping lanes ..... 164
References ........................................................................................................... 166

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Acronyms / Abbreviations

AWPPA The Canadian Arctic Water Pollution
Prevention Act
UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea
IMO International Maritime Organization
ICJ International Court of Justice
NSR Northern Sea Route
NORDREG Northern Canada Vessel Traffic Reporting
Arctic Canada Traffic Zone
Fishery Case Case of International Court of Justice
Anglo-Norwegian Fisheries United Kingdom
vs. Norway
Contigiuous Zone Treaty Convention on the Territorial Sea and the
Contiguous Zone
Polar Code International Code for Ships Operating in
Polar Waters
Table of Treaties
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone
Antarctic Treaty and related agreements
The Ilulissat Declaration
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea

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