The International Maritime Organisation signed off on a US-Russian plan to route ships through the Bering Strait.
The two countries made the proposal to establish six new two-way routes and six precautionary areas in the region straddled by Alaska and eastern Siberia.
The plan, which applies to vessels above 400 gross tonnes, would help ships avoid shoals, reefs and islands outside the routes and to reduce the potential for marine casualties and environmental disasters, the US Coast Guard said.
The proposed two-way routes will be voluntary for all domestic and international ships.
Bulk carriers account for most of the activity in the Bering Sea and Bering Strait with 20,120 transits occurring in the 2014-2015 shipping season. The region is home to the Red Dog Mine, which is a contract-of-affreightment customer for Fednav.
But LNG shipping through the region should also get a boost from the volumes coming off of the Yamal LNG project.
