Reports
Research paper | Shipping-related impacts of the oil and gas sector on marine biodiversity in the Arctic
- Oil and gas
- Pan-Arctic
- Shipping
In this research paper, WWF Global Arctic Programme continues to examine the impacts of the Arctic’s oil and gas sector on its nature and climate. As climate warming shrinks Arctic sea ice and oil-and-gas production in the region grows, the circumpolar north is experiencing a rise in shipping traffic—especially from oil tankers and liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers. The paper examines how shipping linked to oil and gas projects affects the Arctic’s marine environment and climate, as the shipping routes cut directly through many areas identified as priority for conservation areas. The research shows three Arctic regions to be particularly affected: the Bering Strait, the Kara and eastern Barents Sea region and the adjacent Norwegian and western Barents seas.
In our study, we found that the number of crude oil tankers operating in the Arctic almost doubled in the past decade and the distance they sailed increased threefold during the same period. The number of LNG ships operating in the Arctic increased even more, up to 120 in 2024 from just 44 in 2014, and the distance they sailed increased nine times. For Arctic marine wildlife, the increase in shipping traffic comes with several risks: oil spills and pollution, more underwater noise and potential ship-animal collisions.
The paper suggests some key measures to mitigate the harmful impacts on Arctic marine wildlife, such as ensuring vessels use cleaner fuels, improving oil-spill emergency infrastructure, replacing old ships with new ones and supporting monitoring and more research. Perhaps most importantly, governments and companies should embrace the call for the gradual phasing out of the fossil fuel projects.
Our previous reports on the oil and gas sector in the Arctic:
Trends in Arctic oil and gas production and associated emissions
