Environmentalists say Ottawa needs to consider Inuit people and the marine animals they depend on when planning Arctic shipping lanes.

So-called low-impact shipping lanes for the Arctic were one of the promises made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Barack Obama during their recent meeting.

Canadian officials have been working on such proposals for years.

But Louie Porta of the group Pew's Oceans North Canada says those plans ignore important areas for animals like whales and walrus, as well as how those waters are used by Inuit.

Porta's group has released its own set of corridors that cover 70 per cent less area.

Vessel traffic through Canada's Arctic has doubled since 1980.