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Increasing shipping traffic in the Arctic Ocean creates an emerging need to understand the consequences of maritime operations on the Arctic environment and coastal Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, as well as potential governance responses. To address this need, we examine recent shipping trends and assess their impact on Arctic environments and communities. Our arguments are novel, and are built around contemporary empirical investigations and published scientific studies, reports, and government documents. The paper concludes that the environmental and community impacts vary across the Arctic and that greater international coordination is needed to learn from experience, to share assets and capacities, and to guide responsible and sustainable development of Arctic shipping. Given the possibility for opening of the Transpolar Sea Route within the coming decades, further proactive steps, such as developing a governance framework, could help Arctic shipping avoid rather than attempt to correct problems. Shipping Arctic routes Indigenous peoples Local communities Social and environmental concerns Risks

Commercial vessel traffic in the Bering Strait is increasing. The region is, however, remote from most forms of response to accidents or disasters. The Indigenous cultures of the Bering Strait region continue traditional practices, including hunting and fishing in the waters of the Bering and Chukchi Seas. Ecologically, the Bering Strait region is home to a spectacular abundance of seabirds, marine mammals, and marine productivity. The confluence of expanding maritime commerce, remoteness, vibrant Indigenous cultures, and extraordinary biological richness requires robust governance to promote maritime safety, cultural protection, and environmental conservation. The use of areas to be avoided (ATBAs) offers one mechanism to help achieve this goal, and three have already been adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) along with shipping routes through the Bering Strait. This paper explores the potential for additional ATBAs to promote environmental conservation in both the Bering Strait itself and in the larger Bering-Chukchi ecoregion, as one component of a wider discussion also encompassing Indigenous and maritime concerns. The availability of reliable environmental information—particularly real-time data—is one important constraint on the design and delineation of ATBAs. Effective communication among mariners, Indigenous hunters, scientists, and waterway managers is also essential for ATBAs to be effective. If these conditions can be met, ATBAs can become an essential component of well-regulated shipping throughout this sensitive region.