The routine discharges to the sea from shipping that have most impact on the environment are operational discharges of oil and the release of organotin compounds from anti-fouling systems.
Future shipping activities depend considerably on the expansion rate of the oil-and-gas related industry in the northern areas, which in turn depends on both regional and global economic developments. Global warming and a subsequent increase of ice-free shipping routes through Arctic waters could also significantly contribute to increase shipping traffic.
