Canadian and Icelandic Coast Guards sign agreement to increase cooperation
Press Release
December 16, 2025 – Reykjavik, Iceland – National Defence / Canadian Coast Guard
Today, the Canadian Coast Guard and the Icelandic Coast Guard signed a letter of intent to formalize a shared commitment to cooperation and collaboration on coast guard operations. This agreement marks a significant step forward in strengthening international partnerships that enhance maritime safety, environmental protection, and operational readiness in the North Atlantic and Arctic regions.
The agreement highlights the organizations’ mutual desire to facilitate cooperation and information exchange on maritime operations. It builds on existing partnerships and collaborative efforts through fora such as the North Atlantic Coast Guard Forum, the Arctic Coast Guard Forum, and the Arctic Council’s Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response Working Group.
Areas of potential collaboration include:
Arctic operations, including search and rescue, icebreaking, and marine environmental and hazard response;
joint operational exercises and training initiatives;
vessel traffic services coordination;
information sharing, including remote sensing and maritime domain awareness;
climate change resilience and decarbonization strategies; and,
engagement with Indigenous and local communities, with particular attention to Inuit perspectives in the Arctic.
Quotes
“This agreement with the Icelandic Coast Guard demonstrates our commitment to working collaboratively to address critical challenges in providing coast guard services in the North Atlantic and the Arctic. Through joint operational exercises, training, information sharing, and advancements in marine traffic and remote sensing, we are finding better ways to work together to serve our regions.”
Mario Pelletier, Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard
“The collaboration with the Canadian Coast Guard enhances cooperation in the North Atlantic and Arctic by promoting deeper information sharing, joint training, and increased maritime awareness. This partnership strengthens search and rescue readiness, environmental response, and operational effectiveness. Ultimately, this partnership aims to protect individuals, preserve the marine environment, and secure shared maritime routes in a region that is rapidly evolving.”
Georg Kr. Lárusson, Director General, Icelandic Coast Guard
Quick facts
The CCG has signed over 30 cooperation agreements with international partners that support its ability to carry out its mandate.
Celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2026, the Icelandic Coast Guard is a civilian law enforcement agency that is responsible for search and rescue, maritime safety and security surveillance, and law enforcement in the seas surrounding Iceland. The Icelandic Coast Guard’s duties include protection against illegal activities such as illegal migration and illegal drug tracking, fisheries control and enforcement, pollution surveillance and response, natural resource and ecology protection, and salvage and rescue diving.
Noah Note: More cooperation with our Nordic partners is good. Canada’s future Coast Guard fleet is well positioned to take on an expanded role in international cooperation, especially with Arctic partners. When all is said and done, Canada will have the most modern icebreaking fleet on Earth. It is something we don’t speak of much in those terms, but I feel it needs to be said.
Of course, there is more work to be done. I hope to see a lot of these relationships evolve further into things like basing, joint patrols, cooperation in critical areas like the protection of subsea infrastructure, and potential joint procurement possibilities.
Usually, I like to focus on Denmark—more specifically Nuuk—in these discussions. That’s for many reasons. It is a generally ice-free port with significant infrastructure already built up near the entrance to the Northwest Passage.
Compared to Iqaluit, where one has to deal with a tidal range averaging nearly 10m and a port that is still very much underequipped for supporting security operations in the Archipelago, Nuuk presents a unique area of potential future cooperation between Canada and Denmark. Maybe I’ll write on it this week.
Either way, this is a good step. Interdepartmental relationship building is always a good thing, and the CCG being in the spotlight gives them a unique opportunity to lead on the front of Northern cooperation. The Arctic is primarily their domain at the end of the day. While the Navy will certainly need to take a step here as well—and has—the CCG possesses leverage in both experience and future capability that can be utilized with allies.
Just a quick thought, at least.
Having Nuuk as a place to go is good, but we dearly need to build up our own arctic infrastructure as well. Every major stop in the Arctic that gets a proper wharf for loading and unloading, means a faster turnaround for the resupply and less transportation costs. That means more resupply with the same number of ships and lower cost of living in the region and more economic activity.