Inigo Limited has entered into a strategic partnership with the 90 North Foundation, the conservation non-profit dedicated to safeguarding the biodiversity, marine habitat, and ecosystem services of the Central Arctic Ocean which surrounds the North Pole.
According to the announcement, in keeping with Inigo’s underlining principle of surfacing the science, Inigo is supporting the academic research to understand the impacts and risks associated with future surface vessel activity in the area.
James Power, Head of Marine & Energy of Inigo said: “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with 90 North Foundation, furthering our commitment to sustainable practices and advocacy.
“Together we hope to bridge the knowledge gap between the shipping industry’s potential impacts and the vulnerability of the Arctic Ocean’s marine ecosystem.”
The 90 North Foundation’s mission is to minimise the risks to the vulnerable biodiversity of the international waters surrounding the North Pole, the Central Arctic Ocean (CAO), as receding sea-ice levels have resulted in a newly accessible ocean.
Despite the Arctic Ocean being the world’s smallest ocean, it covers 14 million square kilometres, comparable in size to Antarctica, and encompasses over 10% of the northern hemisphere’s marine environment.
However, climate change has led to a significant decline in sea-ice, shrinking at a rate of 12.6% per decade since 1980.
This presents new commercial opportunities for the shipping industry but also poses severe consequences for the rapidly changing marine ecosystem, which is among the world’s least disturbed, Inigo highlighted.
The partnership aims to fulfil 90 North’s mission of establishing the North Pole Marine Reserve. The delivery of this ambitious plan will be supported by data, analysis, and insights from scientific research programs inspired or funded by the 90 North Foundation.
Inigo will provide strategic research and will raise awareness amongst key stakeholders, as well as guidance in proposing working regulatory frameworks.
Pen Hadow, Founder and Executive Director of 90 North Foundation, commented: “The 90 North Foundation welcomes Inigo’s support in protecting the Arctic Ocean’s marine biodiversity.
“The international waters of the Central Arctic Ocean remain one of the world’s least explored and researched areas. However, together, we hope to raise awareness of the risks of future, unregulated shipping routes, unmanaged commercial fishing areas, and damaging seabed mining activities, and foster the key research to provide the best conservation measures.”
