Russia has significant marine areas in the Arctic.Through these open spaces lies the Northern Sea Route (NSR) - the unique navigable highway with an interesting history and great prospects.
The famous sea route that goes through the North
Northern Sea Route is considered the main and most important thoroughfare of the Russian shipping in the Arctic zone.He is on the seas, flowing into the Arctic Ocean.This highway connects sea ports located in the European and Far Eastern parts of Russia.Top of the Northern Sea Route - the Kara Gate.Ends highway in Providence Bay.The total length of the Northern Sea Route - the order of 5600 km, the first time it all went away nautical Swedish expedition led by Nordenskiöld in 1878-79 years.
Northern sea route was actively used by Soviet sailors in 1940-80-ies.In the 70's on this road began to go ice-breakers.After the collapse of the USSR there were frequently being foreign court.The largest ports of the Northern Sea Route are in Igarka, Dikson, Tiksi, Dudinka and Pevek Providence.Navigation Control by the Department of Maritime Transport of the Russian Federation (in the Soviet Union did Glavsevmorput then Ministry Morflot).
main ports
Northern Sea Route begins in the Barents Sea.Then he continues in the waters of other seas - Kara, Laptev and East Siberian and Chukchi.In each of the key port waters located the Northern Sea Route.First, it is Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, to the east - Dixon, in the area of the Yenisei Gulf ships pass through Dudinka and Igarka, stepping into the Laptev Sea - in Noordwijk, then Tiksi (delta of the Lena), Ambarchik (the mouth of the Kolyma River) and Pevek and port in Providence.
listed shipping infrastructure facilities, which are located at the mouth of large rivers, act as a transit point for cargo ships destination.The Northern Sea Route - is the backbone on which the timber is transported, machinery, coal, building materials, food, furs.The ports on the Northern Sea Route adapted to receive large icebreakers.
problems of SMEs
Experts believe that the modernization of the infrastructure of the Russian Arctic will require substantial financial and human investment.It will be necessary to improve the operation of services of hydrography and meteorology, to establish a system of aerial reconnaissance of the ice movement, to create state structures responsible for environmental monitoring.It is necessary to increase the resources of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, to improve the infrastructure of ports.
In addition, analysts say, there are many unsolved questions about the legal framework governing the movement of vessels on the NSR.In many ways, this aspect will determine the attractiveness of the line for foreign investors - not only in the field of cargo shipping, as such, but also in adjacent segments.Such as, for example, the Arctic tourism.There are many who want to make a trip to the North Pole, and companies from Russia may become the world's largest providers of similar tourist services.
interest from other countries
According to some experts, the development of the Northern Sea Route is committed prerogative of not only Russia, but also a number of other countries.First of all, we are talking about the major powers of Asia-Pacific region - China and India.Interest exhibit small but influential states - such as Singapore.Some Russian officials believe that we need legal rules governing the movement of maritime transport for foreign shipping companies.
situation, experts say, may be complicated by the position of the United States who do not believe that the core of the Northern Sea Route are exclusively in Russian jurisdiction.Moreover, the legal regulation line even in Russia there is no consensus.But there are lawyers who believe that Russia has every right to control the passage of ships along the Northern Sea Route through the norms of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, established in 1982.About
administration SMP
main government body that aims to regulate the navigation in SMEs - is the Administration of the Northern Sea Route, the central office is located in Moscow.According to the rules of Russian law, shipping in the waters of the pipeline is carried out in the permitting procedure.Ship owners must apply in advance to use the waters of the NSR.Administration of the Northern Sea Route and considers it decides to permit or refuse it.Interestingly, the application process is quite modernized: documents can be sent electronically, and, moreover, in the English language, which is very convenient for foreign seafarers.Administration of SMEs consider the application within 10 working days and places your answer (a decision about whether or not to issue a permit) on the official website.
Terms Shipping
Russian Northern Sea Route - highway where there are navigation rules defined by the legislation of the Russian Federation.Too many reporting requirements have character.For example, if the ship should be on SMEs and crosses the West (Eastern) line, then once a day the captain has to send to the Administration of the Northern Sea Route key information about your vessel.
Among them - the geographical coordinates of the ship's estimated time spent in the waters of the SMP, the exact course, speed, as well as information about the presence in the path of the ship ice.The captain of the ship shall immediately notify the Administration of the NSR on the detected sources of pollution.Those types of vessels that can not move in a dense concentration of ice, must coordinate their actions with the icebreaker fleet and be in constant communication with the administration of the NSR, if necessary, to follow the directions for further movement.
NSR
Some sailors prefer not to operate on such terms as the Northern Sea Route, replacing it with the term "area".The scale of the SMP, thus extending within the breadth of the territorial sea of 12 miles and an economic zone of free movement of vessels with a length of 200 miles.Area SMP - from the Kara Gate to the Bering Strait.
Northern Sea Route, according to the number of seafarers - a complex of several shipping routes.Their exact length is not constant and depends mainly on seasonal changes in the thickness and location of the Arctic ice.The Northern Sea Route - is more than 70 major ports and points.There are several areas of Russia (Chukotka, Yakutia coast and surrounding areas), for which the SMP - is the only highway connecting it with the rest of the country.
Nuclear icebreakers on SMP
Due to geographical and climatic characteristics of ship traffic along the Northern Sea Route is impossible without the participation of the icebreaker fleet.Now go through the NSR 6 icebreakers.This fleet provides the stability of the entire marine highways and solves problems related to improving access to the regions of the Russian Far North and the Arctic shelf.According to some experts, the Russian icebreaker fleet - the guarantor of national security.As such icebreaking ship is over 8,000 miles - from Murmansk, Vladivostok and ending.In fact, two of the largest companies engaged in shipping in the NSR, registered in the two cities.According to some experts, the Russian icebreaker fleet should be increased.This will improve the economic viability of highway to create new jobs in the regions SMEs, to improve the situation with the migration to the North.
Economic Perspectives
According to some experts, SMEs should be the backbone for a rival the Suez Canal and other objects of the world's largest maritime infrastructure.According to some analysts, the maximum capacity of SMEs - about 50 million tons of cargo a year.Seafarers themselves believe that the SMP will be every year more and more popular - especially against the background of the activity of oil and gas companies in the region of Yamal and the Arctic.
important role in the efficient use of highways is believed to seafarers should play private investors.Dynamics quite optimistic: in 2010, the SMP has only been 4 large ship, in 2011 - 34, and in 2012 - already 46. Experts believe that there is every reason to expect further growth in the activity of shipping companies in the waters of the NSR -both Russian and foreign.
role of the state
According to some analysts, before the start of the 2000s, Russia has paid a very weak impact of the development of the Arctic as a whole and the Northern Sea Route in particular.However, in recent years the state has significantly intensified in these areas.Began to appear new laws raises issues relevant to the development of the regions adjacent to the SMP.These trends, experts say, largely due to the great historical role of Russia in the Arctic, the desire of the state to regain its former influence in the region.In 2008, the President signed a very important document - "Fundamentals of Russian state policy in the Arctic up to 2020".The northern regions of the Russian Federation it identified as one of the key strategic reserves of the country.Some sources SMP is an object of national transport communications.There is another source of law - "Strategy of socio-economic development of Siberia", adopted in 2010.It notes that efficient use of resources SMEs - a key factor in successful economic development in the Siberian region.
attention from China
One of the most active foreign players in respect of navigation in the SMP - China, a partnership with Russia which in recent years especially considers a priority.In the fall of 2013, some experts have noted an interesting precedent associated with the passage through the Northern Sea Route vessel Yong Sheng.It turned out that the ship, preferring to go through the Russian Railway, won about two weeks in comparison to if floated through the traditional route for Chinese sailors in the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal.Of course, this could not affect the further growth of interest from shipping companies to use China as an attractive route.Cooperation within the framework of navigation in the SMP is actively discussed between China and Russia on the governmental level.
Russian President on SMP
State's interest in a more intensive and effective development of the Northern Sea Route is traced on the example of the position of President of the country.Vladimir Putin has instructed the executive bodies to bring to the 2015 turnover on the highways NSR up to 4 million tons.For this process to be accelerated by the addition of new vessels capable of going to the ice conditions, as well as ice-breakers - nuclear and diesel.The President noted that it is necessary to modernize the communications infrastructure, marine navigation, the maintenance of ships.The global goal - to turn the highway into an attractive for private companies in Russia and abroad direction.On how successful the development of SMEs, the head of state, depends on the way in the future Russia will be able to promote its own national interests in the Arctic.
NSR value for Russia
Order of Vladimir Putin are consistent with the overall rate of government as to how it should be carried out development of the Northern Sea Route.The economic development of several regions of Russia depends on how successful the infrastructure construction SMEs - especially in the Arkhangelsk Region, Siberia.According to some analysts, the importance of the Northern Sea Route for Russia is hard to overestimate.For our country, the SMP - is not only a promising marine highway, but also a tool that will allow to solve a lot in the Arctic region.Therefore, even if economically the Northern Sea Route will not be as cost-effective as it expected the authorities, then, experts say, the country's government will need to continue to invest in port infrastructure and build icebreakers - convert, if necessary, the NSR into a strategic base for national defense.
