Canadas arctic waters in international law by donat pharand. Ottawacanadas claim over the northwest passage is illegitimate, u. The crossing of the northwest passage in august 1985 by a us icebreaker, without requesting authorisation, raised the whole question of canadas sovereignty over the waters of its arctic archipelago. Understanding sovereignty disputes in the north by michael byers will get your blood boiling if you believe, as i do, that the northwest passage is canadian and not an international waterway. The northwest passage is a sea corridor through canadas arctic archipelago and along the northern coast of north america.
Arctic sovereignty videos and latest news articles. Canada, norway, russia, denmark via greenland, iceland, sweden, finland and the united states. Dissecting sovereignty and the northwest passage haliburton echo. Canadian arctic sovereignty the canadian encyclopedia. This is the first pierre berton book i have ever read and, having now done so, i cant imagine why i waited so long. The most prevalent issue facing canada in the arctic is its contested dominion over the constitutive straits of the northwest passage nwp. Jan 15, 2016 this book is an indispensable and major contribution to the literature and discussions on canadian arctic maritime sovereignty claims, most importantly the contested northwest passage lajeunesse not only provides a solid explanation of the subjects historiographical debates, he offers a new perspective that enriches the debate.
The book primarily focuses on canadas efforts to establish the northwest passage as its historic internal waters, and the role that its. A history of canadas arctic maritime sovereignty, provides an interesting and detailed account of the history of canadas approach toward establishing sovereignty over the waters of the arctic region. Video by elena baldassarri, august 20, with interviews with franklyn griffiths, james manicom, adam lajeunesse, john higginbotham, and kathrin keil. Olilandsat 8nasa but covetous eyes gaze upon the northwest passage, more so as arctic ice retreats. This book is an accessible and thorough analysis of the current state of play in the central arctic ocean and its five bordering coastal states, an area where the combination of melting seaice and the growing demand for oil and gas has increased international interest in resource exploration, shipping rights and environmental protection. The northwest passage and canadian arctic sovereignty. The eastern route al ong the arctic coasts of norway and siberia is accordingly calle d the northeast passage nep the various islands of the archipelago are separated from one another and from the canadian. Secretary of state mike pompeo said monday in a major speech to the arctic council that canadian experts called both. America tries to freeze canada out of the route through the arctic.
Although the government encourages the future use of the northwest passage by foreign vessels, it is also concerned with the possible increase in environmental threats, search and rescue incidents. Ship found in arctic 168 years after doomed northwest passage. Caribou political aspects climate change climatic changes consortia decision making decisionmaking diamond mining international trade environmental impact analysis laws, regulations and rules marine navigation marine safety marine transportation naval vessels nuclear. Ship found in arctic 168 years after doomed northwest.
International disputes and cultural ideas in the canadian. An economic analysis of container shipping through canadian northwest passage. There also are disputes regarding what passages constitute international seaways and rights to passage along them. Connecting the pacific and atlantic oceans, the northwest passage, that has claimed the curiosity, hearts and lives of so many, is now a journey into the past to discover the courage, misery and pure determination of some of historys greatest explorers. This passage marks an area rich in marine and avian life. This paper considers canadas sovereignty in matters of navigation over the waters at the arctic archipelago, in the form of a toll fee for passage usage. Canadas sovereign control of the northwest passage has been the subject of government protests and academic criticism. Canada, denmark, norway, russia, and the united states all regard parts of the arctic seas as national waters territorial waters out to 12 nautical miles 22 km or internal waters. The song was used on october 9, 2007 by the bbc world services world today programme during a story about the expansion of canadas efforts to confirm its sovereignty over the arctic region through which the northwest passage runs. May 06, 2019 ottawa canadas claim over the northwest passage is illegitimate, u. Which territorial claims will prevail, and why those of the united states, russia, canada, or the nordic nations. Ship found in arctic 168 years after doomed northwest passage attempt. All land, internal waters, territorial seas and eezs in the arctic are under the jurisdiction of one of the eight arctic coastal states. Thickbilled murres, ivory gulls, beluga, narwhal, and bowhead whales reside in the icestrewn waters.
America in 1880, claims sovereignty over the passage because all of its routes. Captain cook and the northwest passage edited by james k. For centuries european explorers had sought a way through the ice in search of a shorter route to the east. The eastern route along the arctic coasts of norway and siberia is accordingly called the northeast passage nep.
Protecting canadian arctic sovereignty from donald trump. Aug 12, 20 the northwest passage is a sea corridor through canadas arctic archipelago and along the northern coast of north america. The northwest passage and canadian arctic sovereignty michael kennedy research paper undergraduate politics. The northwest passage the stretch of arctic ocean connecting the pacific and atlantic oceans along canadas northern. Elsewhere, arctic sovereignty focuses on polar waters for instance. International boundaries research institute, durham university, england, 2008. Canada must assert sovereignty over the arctic while there. Pompeo says canadian claim to northwest passage is. The economist explains who owns the northwest passage. The northwest passage and canadian arctic sovereignty michael kennedy research paper undergraduate politics international politics topic. Ubc press lock, stock, and icebergs a history of canadas. Secretary of state mike pompeo said monday in a major speech to the arctic council that canadian experts called. There is a sea passage through the arctic regions of north america, that has been alluring explorers and fortune seekers for centuries.
International law regulates this area as with other portions of the earth. The position of the united states on the northwest passage. The contested sovereignty claims over the waters may complicate future shipping through the region. Climate change and politics in the arctic, arctic 59. Out of the northwest passage itinerary, september 117, 2021. Jan 05, 2015 more ships in the northwest passage will boost our arctic claim. What will be one of the right honourable stephen harpers legacies during his nine years in office as canadas twentysecond prime minister will be his tough stance on arctic sovereignty. The northwest passage is the sea route across the northern canadian archipelago joining the pacific ocean and the north atlantic. Who owns the arctic understanding sovereignty disputes. The novel unilateral assertion of canadian jurisdiction gave rise to official. The northwest passage nwp is the sea route to the pacific ocean through the arctic ocean. Provides indepth and unique focus on canadian relationship with the arctic. In the past, the northwest passage has been virtually impassable because it was covered by thick, yearround sea ice. Who owns the trillions of dollars of oil and gas beneath the arctic ocean.
Michael byers holds the canada research chair in global politics and international law at the university of british columbia in vancouver. The northwest passage is a famed sea route from the atlantic ocean to the pacific ocean through a group of sparsely populated canadian islands known as the arctic archipelago. Following the 1985 sovereignty crisis when the american icebreaker polar sea transited the northwest passage without explicit canadian permission, successive canadian governments have told the public that the sovereignty dispute is over, and that canadian sovereignty over the lands and waters of the arctic has been accepted. As an arctic nation canada is not immune to the consequences of these transformations. Critics fear chinas foray into northwest passage endangers arctic sovereignty a chinese research vessel that went through the north west passage this summer has.
International disputes and cultural ideas in the canadian arctic arctic sovereignty in the national consciousness. While the northwest passage is unlikely to emerge as a new international sea route, canada will. The northwest passage nwp is the sea route to the pacific ocean through the arctic ocean, along the northern coast of north america via waterways through the canadian arctic archipelago. Arctic council simulation 55 glossary 63 arctic imperative. Northwest passage, water routes through the arctic archipelago, n canada, and along the northern coast of alaska between the pacific and atlantic oceans. The northwest passage is a sea route that connects the atlantic and pacific oceans through the canadian arctic archipelago. Recently, developments have occurred which could pose renewed threats to canadas arctic sovereignty. Canadas current position, both politically and in terms of. It certainly discussed sovereignty disputes in the northern hemisphere, but it largely focused on canada, and what canada has done in its arctic territories, and what it should do to protect its interest especially in relations to offshore mining and resource extraction, and the nature of the northwest passage. The northwes t pass age nwp is the sea route to the pacific ocean through the ar ctic ocean, along the nort hern coast of n orth america via waterways through the can adian a rctic archipelago.
Video presenting the sovereignty question in relation to arctic and northwest passage shipping. Sovereignty over the area has become a national priority for canadian governments in the 21st century, thanks to growing international interest in the arctic due to resource development, climate change, control of the northwest passage and access to transportation routes. European explorers searched in vain for the passage for 300 years, intent on finding a commercially viable western sea route between europe and asia. Sep 12, 2016 ship found in arctic 168 years after doomed northwest passage attempt. Toward a responsible canadian arctic sovereignty volume 52 issue 3 jeremy seth geddert. The future of arctic shipping and the northwest passage by whitney lackenbauer and adam lajeunesse december, 2014 page 1 on uncertain ice. The canadian governments principle arctic policy is to exercise its sovereignty in the territories and its waters. Unclos, the imo, and the arctic council are all concerned with the northwest passage in different ways. The arctic grail covers a century of arctic exploration by the british, canadians, scandinavians, and americans. Yet there may be cracks developing in arctic sea floor sovereignty cooperation. The northwest passage as a question of sovereignty. Ken mcgoogan, author of the fatal passage quartet in an adventure worthy of indiana jones, cameron dueck sets out to fine the arctic grail. Sovereignty issues loom as arctic sea ice shrinks cbc news. Secretary of state mike pompeo says canadas claim to.
International disputes and cultural ideas in the canadian arctic. In addition to abundant wildlife, well delve deeper into the exploration of the northwest passage and mercantile efforts of the hudsons bay company. Adam lajeunesses new book, lock, stock, and icebergs. Critics fear chinas foray into northwest passage endangers.
Canadian sovereignty over the northwest passage has made this dispute one of the most significant bilateral legal issues in the canadianunited states relationship. In addition, the summer sees an influx of migratory visitors who are making the most of the short breeding season. As is true throughout this book, grant shows how economics. Historic and legal study of sovereignty in the canadian north and related problems of.
Dueck wrote a book about the voyage called the new northwest passage. A simple statement, it summed up a hundred years of official policy. Sep 20, 20 canadas arctic nightmare just came true. Out of the northwest passage itinerary, september 117. Arctic sovereignty is a key part of canadas history and future 40 per cent of the countrys landmass is in its three northern territories, and the country has 162,000 kilometers km of arctic coastline. But few do the first two and then embark on a voyage through the northwest passage. Canadas northwest passage claim isnt settled but its not illegitimate, like the u. Professor byers has led two projects for arcticnet, a canadian governmentfunded research consortium. List of books and articles about northwest passage. The waterways and islands of the northwest passage are home to the famous arctic big 5 polar bear, musk ox, walrus, narwhal and beluga whales alongside reindeer caribou, seal, arctic fox and lemmings. This colorful map shows maritime jurisdictions and boundaries, as well as. This book explores the canadian relationship with its portion of the arctic region which revolves around the dramatic split between the appearance of absentminded governance, bordering on indifference toward the region, and the raging nationalism during moments of actual and perceived challenge toward the sovereignty of the imagined.
In 1776 captain james cook set sail on his third voyage across the pacific ocean, this time in an attempt to navigate the northwest passage and find a route between europe and asia. Who owns the arctic understanding sovereignty disputes in. The northwest passage, consisting of seven routes through canadas arctic. It is thus the pragmatism of security, rather than the legality of sovereignty, that should be made paramount in canadian arctic assertions. Caribou political aspects climate change climatic changes consortia decision making decisionmaking diamond mining international trade environmental impact analysis laws, regulations and rules marine navigation marine safety marine transportation naval vessels nuclear weapons ports reindeer. In 1988, after years of failed negotiations over the status of the northwest passage, brian mulroney gave ronald reagan a globe, pointed to the arctic, and said ron thats ours.
An economic analysis of container shipping through. More ships in the northwest passage will boost our arctic. Interviewers underlined the connection between the historical problem and geopolitical issues. In the northwest passage, 289 transits have taken place since 1906, 32 of them in 2017. Sovereignty, security, and stewardship, the authors, all leading commentators on arctic affairs, grapple with fundamental questions about how canada should craft a responsible and effective northern strategy. While the northwest passage is unlikely to emerge as a new international sea route, canada will have to prepare for increased. Understanding sovereignty disputes in the north by michael byers will get your blood boiling if you believe, as i do, that the northwest passage is. Sep 15, 2017 critics fear chinas foray into northwest passage endangers arctic sovereignty a chinese research vessel that went through the north west passage this summer has critics worried about potential. The discovery of franklins ships, lost searching for the northwest passage in 1845, has been overshadowed by dramatic revelations of archaeological skullduggery, political corruption, illegal. Canada also has historic title to support its claim to sovereignty over the passage, as inuit trails have crossed the frozen passage for centuries. And, in an age of rapid climate change, how do we protect the fragile arctic environment while seizing the economic opportunities presented by the rapidly. The continental shelf and the mineral resources of its subsoil are another area of legal controversy involving the arctic states. Miscellaneous publish your bachelors or masters thesis, dissertation, term paper or essay.