Recently, there was good news for those concerned about the dangers of shipping to areas of the Aleutian Islands, such as the area where the M/V Selendang Ayu broke apart. The International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency responsible for globally recognized shipping regulations, approved protective buffer zones around the islands, buffers that might well have kept the vessel from ever coming to shore.
For those who can't recall the details of the Selendang Ayu, this vessel went aground in December of 2004 and was blown to shore after attempts to keep it offshore with the tugs available in Unalaska were thwarted. When it broke into two pieces, the ship spilled 300,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil and killed six crew members.
Since then, a shipping risk assessment was conducted -- paid for with plea agreement funds from the disaster. Despite its remote location from the standpoint of Alaska, the Aleutian Islands see a tremendous number of vessels come through Unimak Pass on the eastern end of the chain. In 2012, nearly 2,000 vessels made some 4,600 transits through the pass.
The region's traffic was studied over the course of five years, risks analyzed and meetings held with those who depend on the region's waters, from fishermen to subsistence users.
One of the results of all that study was the recommendation that a designated assist tug be placed in the Aleutians. Another was the designation of areas to be avoided.
Five proposed areas encompass 1,200 miles of the coast of the Aleutian Islands, most no more than 55 miles from shore. Vessels traveling farther from shore that run into trouble will have more time to repair their vessel or receive aid from emergency response efforts before coming in contact with the shoreline. In addition, the chances of running aground from negligent navigation are reduced.
These added protections will allow many -- subsistence users, those who depend on the many regional fisheries for their livelihood, and organizations charged with protecting the fragile ecosystem of the region -- to breathe a sigh of relief.
But 10 years is a long time to wait for action after a disaster like the Selendang Ayu. In that time, tens of thousands of ships have transited through this region, all taking risks similar to the one that allowed 300,000 gallons of fuel to be spilled. And the only reason the region was able to undertake this study was because that disaster happened and the company was forced to pay for its negligence in hopes that others would be better protected in the future.
Meanwhile, in Alaska, a small working group is just getting started with its attempt to regulate marine practices in the Arctic. The Arctic Waterways Safety Committee -- a self-governed organization whose framework was created by the U.S. Coast Guard -- is attempting to bring together stakeholders to address the numerous issues related to Arctic ship traffic. Similar committees have worked in regions such as the Puget Sound and Los Angeles, and hopefully, this collection of subsistence users, shipping companies, oil and gas industry developers and regional administrators will be able to forge ahead with clearly defined goals.
But these are murky waters and the Arctic Waterways Safety Committee doesn't have either the funding or the precedent set by the grounding of a large tanker in the region. Unfortunately, it seems it often takes a disaster to get action and even then, the action drags far behind the pace of development, climate change and changes in the world political climate.
Safety measures, improved mapping, communication, ice monitoring, policies about who can travel where, when and how in the Arctic and many other safety measures are needed right now, not a decade from now, and certainly not after a disaster provides the funding to make those claims critical.
Let's hope the state Legislature recognizes that need, both for protecting economic opportunities and the environment critical for subsistence lifestyles that have been practiced for thousands of years in the region. Safety measures like those finally being instated in the Aleutians are critical to helping the Arctic face the ballooning activity it is likely to see in the coming years. But it will take the support, effort and forward-thinking approach of all the stakeholders to get this ball rolling in the right direction at a reasonably quick speed.
Carey Restino is editor of the Arctic Sounder and Bristol Bay Times-Dutch Harbor Fisherman, where this commentary first appeared.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com.