The extent of Arctic sea ice this October was the sixth-lowest on record, according to a National Snow and Ice Data Center release last week — in a year in which the overall seasonal low reached its fourth-lowest extent on record in September.
Figures such as those have fueled renewed interest in Arctic shipping, which has grown steadily in recent years, until last year, when it suffered a sharp one-year decline. Figures for 2015 aren’t yet available, but the Arctic will likely see an increase in the number of ships operating in the region.
It also brings word from China’s largest shipping company, Cosco, that it will launch regularly scheduled shipping services along Russia’s Northern Sea Route.
South Korea and Iceland are among the nations eyeing such a route. Presidents of both countries agreed at a meeting Monday in Korea to establish an Arctic Ocean shipping route together, the Korea Times reports. According to the Korea Herald, such a route between Korea and Europe could be available year-round by 2030, and would shave sailing time for Korean cargo vessels by about 10 days.