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The International Ice Charting Working Group (IICWG) was formed in October 1999 to promote cooperation between the world's ice centers on all matters concerning sea ice and icebergs.
Frascati, Italy, October 23, 2007— The International Ice Charting Working Group (IICWG), meeting at ESRIN in Frascati, issued the following statement today:
“In September 2007, the Arctic sea ice reached the minimum extent in the history of ice charting based on satellite, aircraft and surface observations, continuing a recent trend of diminishing sea ice that began in the 1980’s and has accelerated. While there will still be natural inter-annual variability, the decline is likely to continue.
“The Arctic is already experiencing an increase in shipping, primarily for oil and gas development and tourism, and we can expect to see further increases as diminishing ice extent makes Arctic marine transportation more viable. The IICWG members are working with national and international authorities to help ensure that Arctic navigation develops with the utmost regard for the safety of people, property and the environment.
“The IICWG cautions that sea ice and icebergs will continue to present significant hazards to navigation for the foreseeable future. The Arctic will still have a winter ice cover that will linger into summer for varying lengths of time depending on a range of conditions.”
Read the full news release: HTML, PDF (456 KB)
The 8th Meeting of the International Ice Charting Working Group (IICWG) will be held in Frascati, Italy, 22-26 October, 2007. This year’s meeting will be hosted by the European Space Agency’s Centre for Earth Observation (ESRIN).
IICWG VII
The Seventh International Ice Chart Working Group Meeting was held at the Finnish Institute of Marine Research in Helsinki, 24-29 September 2006. See Meetings and Standing Committees for more information.
IICWG Celebrates its First Five Years, and Looks to the Future
The Sixth International Ice Chart Working Group Meeting and associated Science Workshop was organized by the Canadian Ice Service and held in Ottawa, Canada 24-28 October 2005. See Meetings and Standing Committees for more information.
