WWF promotes Arctic conservation at Sustainable Shipping Initative’s yearly meeting

As a member, the WWF Global Arctic Programme will attend the annual meeting of the Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI),taking place in Oslo on March 19-20.

The Initiative brings together shipping companies, ports and shipyards, including those operating in the Arctic. Elena Tracy, Senior Advisor, Sustainable Development, will present WWF’s work.

As global biodiversity threats escalate and the Arctic Ocean undergoes rapid ecological changes, WWF stands firm in its commitment to safeguard Arctic ecosystems, species, and coastal communities. Recognizing the risks posed by increased maritime activity, including oil spills, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, underwater noise, and habitat destruction, we urge the shipping industry to implement measures such as re-routing, traffic separation schemes, and speed reductions.

To further address these challenges, WWF has developed ArcNet—a comprehensive network design and implementation pathway for Arctic marine conservation. ArcNet provides a roadmap for achieving the UN’s commitment to protect 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030. WWF also focuses on conserving Arctic whales—species that are particularly affected by shipping. This includes our Arctic Blue Corridors initiative, which calls for safeguarding whales while they are in their migratory corridors, which often overlap with shipping activity.

WWF is currently working to fill knowledge gaps about whale migration and impacts of industries, to advocate for better protection of Arctic Blue Corridors. To this end, WWF has been supporting scientists in tackling whale migrations with satellite trackers since 2018. This information is added to the newly-created database, which includes all knowledge on whale migrations across and the Arctic. We will use this database to evaluate shipping pressures to migrating whales and advocate for special management measures adopted within these blue corridors by governments and shipping companies.

We call on shipping companies to incorporate ArcNet and the Blue Corridors initiative for large-scale marine conservation in the Arctic into their voyage planning, fostering coexistence between maritime activities and marine biodiversity in the Arctic.

Through collaborative efforts with governments, industries, and coastal communities, we aim to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of the Arctic environment.