PAME

What PAME does

PAME (Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment) is an intergovernmental working group of the Arctic Council and serves as the Council's designated focal point for marine environmental protection and sustainable use of the Arctic Ocean. With a Secretariat headquartered in Akureyri, Iceland, PAME convenes Arctic States (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States), Indigenous Peoples organizations, accredited Observers, researchers, and industry stakeholders across six thematic expert groups: Arctic Marine Shipping, Marine Protected Areas, Ecosystem Approach to Management, Marine Litter, Resource Exploration and Development, and Protection from Invasive Alien Species. Its deliverables during 2021-2025 included a record 28 ministerial outputs, and the approved 2025-2027 Work Plan covers 41 projects/activities.

PAME's core technological asset is the Arctic Ship Traffic Data (ASTD) System, a 12-year circumpolar database of ship tracks, vessel counts across 400+ Arctic ports/communities, emissions, and fuel consumption built on AIS data and accessed via an authenticated web portal. Complementary products include the Arctic Shipping Status Reports (ASSR), the GPS-based Plastic in a Bottle marine litter tracking initiative (10 capsules launched across seven Arctic geographies since 2019), the POLARIS risk indexing methodology embedded in the IMO Polar Code, the Marine Protected Areas Network Toolbox, the Marine Invasive Alien Species assessment, and the Regional Programme of Action on land-based pollution. PAME also co-publishes joint advisories with the Arctic Regional Hydrographic Commission and runs webinars and seminars (e.g., the biennial Polar Maritime Seminar with IMO) that have drawn participation from 27+ countries.

PAME operates as a public-good provider rather than a commercial enterprise. It is funded through contributions from the eight Arctic Council member states plus supplementary support from organizations such as the Nordic Council of Ministers. Publications, data, and policy guidance are provided free of charge; there is no pricing model, no API, no paying customer base, and no disclosed revenue. Its go-to-market is community-led, operating through intergovernmental collaboration, expert working groups, and an open-access publication archive accessible via the Arctic Council website.

Name

PAME

Legal name

Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME)

Website

https://pame.is

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PAME is the Arctic Council's intergovernmental working group for marine environmental protection, serving eight Arctic States, Indigenous Peoples, and researchers through policy frameworks, the Arctic Ship Traffic Data (ASTD) System, and a 41-project 2025-2027 Work Plan delivered from its Akureyri, Iceland Secretariat.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arctic Marine Environmental Policy Coordination

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

akta.pro primary industry

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI), Environmental, Spill Prevention & Response Compliance (MARPOL, SOPEP/SMPEP, Waste) (TLAHANAI), Nautical Safety, Navigation Aids & Hydrographic Services (TLAHAFAE), Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI)

Keywords

• Arctic marine policy
• Marine environmental protection
• Arctic shipping data
• Marine litter tracking
• Circumpolar policy coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Akureyrarkaupstadur, Nordhurland Eystra

HQ country

Iceland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Intergovernmental Funding: PAME is funded through contributions from Arctic Council member states. As one of six Arctic Council working groups, the organization operates under the governance framework of the Arctic Council, which is funded by its eight member states (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, United States).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PAME coordinates the protection and sustainable use of the Arctic marine environment through policy assessments, expert working groups, and environmental data systems. Its core deliverables include the Arctic Ship Traffic Data (ASTD) System, Arctic Shipping Status Reports, the Plastic in a Bottle marine litter tracking project, the POLARIS ice risk methodology, the Marine Protected Areas Network Toolbox, and the Regional Programme of Action on marine pollution. All products are delivered as public goods to Arctic States, Indigenous Peoples, observers, and research institutions.

Product overview

PAME (Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment) is an Arctic Council Working Group that functions as a policy-focused organization rather than a software product company. Its offerings consist of assessment tools, databases, and strategic frameworks rather than a unified software platform. The core products include the Arctic Ship Traffic Data (ASTD) System for monitoring Arctic shipping, Arctic Shipping Status Reports (ASSR) for trend analysis, and the Plastic in a Bottle GPS tracking initiative for marine litter research. PAME's work spans multiple expert groups delivering reports, guidelines, and frameworks including the Arctic Marine Strategic Plan, Marine Protected Areas Toolbox, and various shipping safety initiatives like POLARIS and the Cape Town Agreement project. The organization produces ministerial deliverables including assessments, guidelines, and policy documents rather than commercial software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ASTD (Arctic Ship Traffic Data): A system developed by PAME to collect and distribute accurate, reliable, and up-to-date information on shipping activities in the Arctic.
• Plastic in a Bottle
• Arctic Shipping Status Report (ASSR)
• POLARIS

Products and services

• Arctic Ship Traffic Data (ASTD) System

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% increase in unique ships tracked in Arctic shipping over 12 years (2013-2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arctic Regional Hydrographic Commission (ARHC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020PAME and ARHC signed a Memorandum of Understanding to foster collaboration supporting Arctic maritime safety and environmental protection. The partnership includes joint policy statements on hydrography, updated navigational advisories for Arctic waters, and potential database interoperability including the ASTD System.
• International Maritime Organization (IMO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Cape Town Agreement project for fishing vessel safety, Polar Maritime Seminars, and issues related to the Polar Code. PAME supports IMO's global efforts to improve shipping safety in polar waters.
• CAFF (Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint effort to implement the Arctic Invasive Alien Species Strategy and Action Plan. PAME and CAFF are collaborating on Phase 1 and planning Phase 2 of the marine invasive species project.
• Norwegian Polar InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Plastic in a Bottle project and Arctic research cruises. The Norwegian Polar Institute operates the icebreaker RV Kronprins Haakon for research deployments including capsule launches.
• Wageningen University & ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Arctic Marine Litter Project and Plastic in a Bottle capsule launches from the Netherlands. Researcher Wouter Jan Strietman leads work on identifying sources and causes of marine plastic pollution in the Arctic.
• Nordic Council of MinistersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding support for the Plastic in a Bottle project. The Nordic Council of Ministers has provided financial support for the marine litter tracking initiative.
• Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Arctic Marine Tourism project, particularly regarding site-specific guidelines development for near-shore and coastal areas visited by passenger vessels.
• International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInformation sharing on marine tourism trends and best practices. IAATO provides data on vessel patterns in polar regions that informs PAME's tourism assessments.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/https://www.youtube.com/@pamesecretariat6895
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pame

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PAME